Bharat NCAP 2.0 brings tougher safety rules from October 2027

India's car safety testing programme is set for a major change. Bharat NCAP 2.0 is due to bring a broader and stricter set of safety tests from October 2027, expanding the areas used to assess new cars. For buyers, that means safety evaluation will look beyond what happens to occupants in a crash and give greater importance to active safety and pedestrian protection.

What changes with Bharat NCAP 2.0

The updated programme will widen the scope of vehicle safety assessment. Along with occupant protection, the tests will examine systems designed to help prevent crashes, how vehicles protect pedestrians, and what happens after an impact.

The areas being added to the assessment

The upgraded tests will cover a wider range of safety scenarios:

• Pre-crash safety, including automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping systems
• Pedestrian protection, including how the bonnet and front end behave during an impact
• Occupant safety across different crash types
• Post-crash behaviour after the initial impact
• Body strength and consistency across multiple impact scenarios

Why this matters to car buyers

A car's safety rating will need to be considered in a broader context once Bharat NCAP 2.0 takes effect. A strong result under the existing programme does not necessarily tell buyers how a vehicle will perform against the additional areas covered by the updated tests.

For anyone comparing cars, the equipment fitted to the vehicle will become an important part of the safety conversation. Features such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping systems will be relevant to the pre-crash safety assessment, while pedestrian protection will bring greater attention to the design of the vehicle's front end.

What to look for before 2027

October 2027 is a little over a year away. Buyers shopping before then can still use existing Bharat NCAP safety ratings as a reference, while also checking what active safety equipment is fitted to the particular car or variant they are considering.

If a manufacturer is preparing a refreshed or next-generation model, buyers may also want to pay attention to whether the company has announced changes to its safety equipment. The arrival of Bharat NCAP 2.0 means those details could become increasingly important when comparing new cars.

Are Indian carmakers ready for what is coming in 2027?