Six-airbag rule not mandatory for cars: Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI:  The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Wednesday, said the government will not make the installation of six airbags in cars mandatory. Gadkari’s fresh statement is in sheer contrast to his last September 2022 comment when he said that the government had decided to implement a proposal mandating six airbags in all passenger vehicles with effect from October 1, 2023.

“We have introduced the BNCAP (Bharat New Car Assessment Programme) regime, which demands six airbags for achieving a 5-star safety rating in cars. It will automatically push companies to offer 6 airbags as standard without the need for making them mandatory,” said the minister while speaking at an Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) event.

“Considering the global supply chain constraints being faced by the auto industry and its impact on the macroeconomic scenario, it has been decided to implement the proposal mandating a minimum of 6 airbags in passenger cars (M-1 Category) w.e.f October 1, 2023,” Gadkari had said last year. The fresh move is a positive development for carmakers as a substantial price rise due to the addition of four more airbags would have impacted demand, especially for smaller cars.

“It is a good sign before the festive season that the government has withdrawn this (airbag rule). Adding four more airbags would have increased the prices of cars by Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000. A price hike of 15-20% in the past four years due to several policy changes and rise in raw material prices have made smaller cars unaffordable for many,” said a senior executive of a car company.  The airbag rule, aimed at improving safety, was initially planned for October 1, 2022. The driver seat and co-passenger seat airbags were made mandatory in July 2019 and January 2022, respectively.