India to Launch Bharat NCAP 2 in October 2027 for Full Vehicle Safety Checks

India will launch Bharat NCAP 2 in October 2027 to evaluate the entire vehicle safety chain, announced Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday, addressing India's severe road accident problem. The new program expands on the original Bharat NCAP, launched in 2023, which crash-tests passenger cars and awards one-to-five-star safety ratings for adult and child occupant protection. Gadkari noted India's testing costs are 75% lower at ₹60 lakh per model versus ₹2.5 crore under Global NCAP. Gadkari also said his ministry will introduce a graded point system for driving licences and vehicle registration certificates, penalising repeat traffic violations with potential licence cancellation while rewarding responsible driving behaviour with incentives.