A year later than planned, India will mandate all passenger automobiles to have a minimum of six airbags starting on October 1, 2023, the road transport minister announced on Thursday.
The change, which aims to increase safety in a nation with the world’s deadliest roads, was previously scheduled for October 1, 2022, but some automakers objected.
The regulations will go into effect in October 2023, according to Nitin Gadkari, “considering the global supply chain restrictions being encountered by the car industry and its influence on the macroeconomic picture.”
Draft airbag regulations were made public in January and were scheduled to be finalized a month later, but Maruti Suzuki and other automakers opposed them.
Maruti said that the action will raise car pricing and turn away some purchasers.
The majority of vehicles sold in India, the fourth-largest auto market in the world, are under $15,000.
Already required are two airbags: one for the driver and one for the front passenger. According to official estimates, it wouldn’t cost more than $75 to add four more. However, according to JATO Dynamics, a source of auto industry statistics, expenses could rise by at least $231.
Six airbags are commonly available from several automakers in higher, more expensive variations, but not in the base model.
The first concern, according to Gadkari, “is the safety of all passengers traveling in motor vehicles, regardless of their cost and modifications.”
Six airbags are now required as part of a fresh effort by the road transport ministry to increase safety following the recent death in a car accident of Cyrus Mistry, the former chairman of the Indian giant Tata Sons.
According to the World Bank, a death occurred on Indian roads every four minutes in last year.
By the end of 2024, Gadkari told Reuters, he anticipated initiatives to increase road safety will have cut the number of fatalities and accidents in half.