Centre looks to tighten the screws on fuel norms

Industry has strictly opposed the latest iteration of the fuel efficiency standards

- Ayaan Kartik & Nehal Chaliawala

The government's proposal to give the Bureau of Energy Efficiency the power to impose penalties will help strictly implement the upcoming fuel emission norms that the auto industry has termed "too aggressive", according to experts.

The government has authorized the bureau to verify compliance with Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency or CAFE norms, according to the draft Energy Conservation (Compliance Enforcement) Rules, 2025 released on 4 August. The case will be judged by the adjudicating officer of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, where the manufacturer's head office is located.

The industry has 30 days to share its feedback on the proposal.

"The new proposal clears the entire process on how the penalty will be imposed. Due to confusion over the penalty imposition process, no OEM has ever been penalized for violating norms," said Amit Bhatt, India managing director at International Council on Clean Transportation.