Bharat NCAP Gears Up for Next Phase: ADAS Takes Center Stage

Launched on October 1, 2023, as India’s voluntary vehicle safety assessment program, Bharat NCAP is set to enter a new phase in just over two years. The upcoming update will integrate Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), reflecting the country’s shift towards smarter, safer mobility.

At the ADAS Show in Bengaluru, Ujwala Karle, Deputy Director of ARAI, highlighted the need for India-specific ADAS solutions. “Both ADAS features and testing need to be localized for effective implementation,” she noted. ARAI is developing a dedicated ADAS test track on an 18-acre site near Pune to support this.

An industry insider reveals that nine task forces are being formed to tailor Bharat NCAP to Indian conditions, as the current framework closely follows Global NCAP. Currently, the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) is mandatory for crash test qualification, but the AIS 185 standard, which governs ADAS, may soon expand to cover vulnerable road users.

With road fatalities hitting a record 1.72 lakh in 2023, driver errors remain a key concern. As passive safety features mature in Indian vehicles, active safety and ADAS are set to take the lead. Industry players are also pushing for cost-effective solutions, ensuring ADAS becomes mainstream in India’s evolving automotive domain.