Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari unveiled the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) in New Delhi for vehicles up to 3.5-tonne gross vehicle weight on 22 August 2023. The regulation will be effective from 01 October 2023 in the interest of pushing the safety and quality of vehicles in India. 

The new regulation, which will apply majorly to passenger vehicles, is expected to promote healthy competition among OEMs to manufacture safer vehicles. The motoring public is expected to tangibly benefit from the same.  

With Euro NCAP and other NCAP safety ratings being cited to promote the safety of their vehicles by Indian manufacturers lately, the Bharat NCAP regulation – AIS 197 – is expected to safeguard the lives of the Indian citizens and push the auto industry in the country towards becoming a key automotive manufacturing hub in the world.  

Applicable to type approved motor vehicles of M1 category and voluntary in the sense that the base variants of a given model shall be tested, the new regulation should help the vehicle buyers to make an informed decision, thereby presenting an opportunity to OEMs to manufacture vehicles of global safety standards. 
The programme will be anchored by Pune-based Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) and has been engineered through stakeholder consultations. 

Gadkari spoke at the launch of the new regulation that it would empower consumers to be able to make a better choice for buying safer cars. “The new safety regime under BHARAT NCAP and AIS-197 is a mutual win-win for manufacturers and consumers,” the union minister added.  

The jury is out there to welcome the new, much awaited safety regulations by the Indian Government in the wake of the fatal accidents being reported by various news organisations recently – some of them having taken place on key, modern highways of the country such as the Samruddhi Marg and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.  

It would be worth watching out if the Bharat NCAP norms match some of the most stringent safety norms in the world such as the Euro NCAP, expressed an industry observer. On par with some of the most stringent safety norms found in other countries of the world such as the European Union will ensure a much-needed uplift in road safety in India and help the Indian auto industry take yet another big step towards aligning with some of the finest manufacturing practices in the world,” he added. 

Welcoming the launch of Bharat NCAP regulation by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Government of India. Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA said, “The launch of BNCAP protocol is indeed historic. It will lead to the integration of advanced safety features in vehicles thus minimising the risk of road accidents and fatalities. This initiative will not only bolster the auto component industry’s value chain but will also stimulate the production of cutting-edge components, encourage innovation and create global excellence. We anticipate a safer automotive landscape and a future where Indian auto component manufacturers thrive on the global stage, while also contributing to responsible driving practices, reduced healthcare burdens and potential incentives from the insurance sector. The Indian auto component industry embraces this initiative wholeheartedly, recognising its pivotal role in driving growth and global competitiveness”. 

Mumbai-based automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its wholesales for April 2025 at 84,170 vehicles, a growth of 19 percent, including exports.

The auto major sold a total of 52,330 SUVs in the domestic market, which was 28 percent higher than 41,008 SUVs sold for the same period last year. Commercial vehicle sales in the domestic market came at 22,989 units, which was 4 percent YoY. 

Veejay Nakra, President, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Building on the strong momentum of last year's performance, we began the year on a strong note in April by achieving SUV sales of 52,330 units, a growth of 28 percent and total vehicle sales of 84,170 units, a 19 percent growth over the same month last year. These numbers indicate the strength of our portfolio and customer offerings.”

JSW MG Motor India, a leading passenger vehicles manufacturer, has announced its wholesales for April 2025.

The company reported sales of 5,829 units, which was 23 percent higher over April 2024, when it sold 4,725 vehicles.

Interestingly, the automaker's popular offering, the Windsor EV, has continued to be the top-selling electric passenger vehicle for the seventh month in a row.

JSW MG Motor India's Windsor EV has now gone home to over 20,000 customers.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, has reported its wholesales of 179,791 units in April 2025, marking a 7 percent increase compared to 168,089 units sold in April 2024. The growth was primarily propelled by strong performance in utility vehicles and a sharp rise in export volumes.

Domestic sales, including passenger and light commercial vehicles, remained flat with 142,053 units, as compared to 140,448 units in April 2024. Within this, light commercial vehicles (LCVs) like the Super Carry saw a significant jump of 34.2 percent, with sales rising to 3,349 units from 2,496 units last year.

In the passenger vehicle segment, SUVs such as the Brezza, Ertiga, Grand Vitara and others recorded a 4.4 percent increase, selling 59,022 units compared to 56,553 in the previous year. However, sales for Eeco declined by 5.2 percent, while the mini segment (Alto, S-Presso) saw a sharp 45 percent drop, falling to 6,332 units from 11,519 units. The compact segment, which includes high-volume models like the Baleno and Swift, grew by 8.1 percent, reaching 61,591 units.

Sales to Toyota Kirloskar Motor rose sharply by 79.2 percent, from 5,481 units to 9,827 units, indicating a growing demand for cross-badged products.

The standout performer was the export segment, which surged 26 percent to 27,911 units from 22,160 units in April 2024. This strong export growth helped bolster the company’s overall numbers despite weaknesses in domestic sub-segments.

While some product lines such as the mid-size sedan Ciaz (-63 percent) continue to struggle.

Tata Motors reported total wholesales of 72,753 units for April 2025, reflecting a 6 percent year-on-year decline from 77,521 units in April 2024.

The passenger vehicle (PV) segment, including electric vehicles, accounted for 45,532 units, down 5 percent from 47,983 units in the same month last year. Within this, domestic PV sales dropped 6 percent to 45,199 units, while international business (IB) sales rose significantly to 333 units, up from 100 units. Electric vehicle sales (domestic + IB) declined 16 percent year-on-year to 5,318 units.

Commercial vehicle (CV) sales stood at 27,221 units, marking an 8 percent YoY drop from 29,538 units in April 2024. Domestic CV sales contracted 10 percent to 25,764 units, while CV exports (IB) grew 43 percent to 1,457 units. Key sub-segments like Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV) and pickups saw a steep 23 percent decline.

Despite growth in certain categories like ILMCV trucks and passenger carriers, overall sales momentum was tempered across both PV and CV segments.