Bharat NCAP 2.0 Is Coming in October 2027 and It Will Test Far More Than Just Crash Safety

Published September 4, 2026

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, confirmed at SIAM's 66th Annual Convention that Bharat NCAP 2.0 will take effect from October 2027, replacing the current programme which runs until 30 September 2027. India records around 5 lakh road accidents and 1.80 lakh deaths every year, and Gadkari cited this as the core reason for expanding the programme's scope.

He addeed that they will evaluate the entire crash chain, pointing to three areas Phase 1 does not cover: crash avoidance, pedestrian and vulnerable road user protection, and post-crash evacuation and care.

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How the New Scoring Works

The current system scores cars primarily on adult and child occupant protection. Bharat NCAP 2.0 moves to a 100-point framework across five pillars.

Pillar	Points
Crash Protection	55
Vulnerable Road User Protection	20
Safe Driving	10
Accident Avoidance	10
Post-Crash Safety	5

A 5-star rating requires at least 70 points between 2027 and 2029, rising to 80 points from 2029 onwards.

More Crash Tests, Stricter Speeds

Five mandatory crash tests replace the current two. These include a full-width frontal at 50 kmph, an oblique pole impact at 32 kmph (up from 29 kmph), and a new rear-impact test at 50 kmph. Curtain airbags and ESC are mandatory to qualify for any rating. AEB remains voluntary.

What Else Gadkari Said

Phase 1 has seen over 30 models from 11 companies tested. Testing costs around ₹60 lakh per model under Bharat NCAP versus ₹2.5 crore under Global NCAP, keeping the programme accessible to more manufacturers. Gadkari also invited suggestions from industry, global safety research, and Indian startups.

Image Source: BNCAP

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How the New Scoring Works
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What Else Gadkari Said

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