From mileage to mayday: Why Indian car buyers are now obsessed with safety stars
In a car market long dominated by affordability, safety is emerging as the best-performing driver. Five-star Bharat NCAP-rated vehicles made up 15% of all passenger vehicle sales in the country in the first four months of 2025 — up from 10% during January-April 2024 — as Indian car buyers increasingly prioritise protection over mileage and upfront cost. Sales of models with top-tier safety ratings rose 12% year-on-year in 2024, when overall car sales increased 4.3%, according to data from automotive research firm Jato Dynamics. 'Safety is now a top purchase driver,' said Ravi Bhatia, president of Jato Dynamics. Carmakers are racing to respond to this behaviour change. Safety features like six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), anti-lock braking systems (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), and ISOFIX child seat mounts — all considered luxuries till recently — are rapidly becoming standard. Increasingly stricter norms in recent years — the latest government mandate requires six airbags in passenger vehicles by October 2025 — is accelerating the trend. But the main driver is demand. 'Buyers place a high value on safety, often gauging it by the number of airbags offered,' said R. Velusamy, president, automotive technology and product development, Mahindra & Mahindra. Most are looking for two key safety components: advanced features to prevent accidents, and strong crash-test ratings to ensure protection in case of an accident. 'This growing emphasis on safety is reflected in our sales performance too,' Velusamy said.
Five of Mahindra's latest models — the XEV 9e, BE.6, Thar ROXX, XUV 3XO, and XUV 400 — secured five-star ratings under Bharat NCAP (new car assessment programme) in FY25.
Bharat NCAP, the indigenous vehicle crash testing and safety rating system launched in 2023, has helped increase safety awareness among car buyers. 'We are communicating to our customers that a few thousand rupees is a very small price to pay for safety of themselves and their loved ones,' said Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer, corporate affairs, Maruti Suzuki. The latest model of the Maruti Dzire recently became the first sedan to earn a five-star Bharat NCAP rating. All models of the country's largest carmaker are already equipped with electronic stability program (ESP) and other features like ABS with EBD and hill-hold assist in many of its models ahead of the regulatory requirement. It will also offer six airbags as standard across all variants of models within this year, Bharti said.
Consumer perception of automotive safety has started evolving beyond airbags and crash scores. Features such as 360-degree cameras, remote surveillance via connected car apps such as Waylens Secure360, and remote driving alerts are increasingly seen as necessities. Parents especially appreciate speed-limiting drive modes when handing over keys to their teenage or new-to-driving children, carmakers said.
This expanding view of safety is helping reshape India's $137-billion automotive industry, which is projected to reach $203 billion by 2030, according to Jato Dynamics. Carmakers like Maruti, Tata Motors, Hyundai, Kia, and Mahindra are investing aggressively in R&D, particularly on safety features and structural integrity. Despite the progress, India's road safety records remain among the deadliest in the world. The country saw 53 accidents per hour in 2023, with nearly 80% of road fatalities attributed to speeding or substandard vehicle safety, according to government data. With the government tightening regulations and customers demanding the latest safety features, 'the industry faces pressure to align with global standards,' Bhatia said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
24 minutes ago
- Mint
Indian stock market: Nifty tops 25,000 level. Is this rally sustainable in near term?
Stock market today: The Nifty 50 index climbed back above the 25,000 level on Monday, August 18, for the first time since July 25, as a series of positive developments over the weekend helped counter concerns about a possible 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, BSE index Sensex also soared nearly 1,100 points, rallying to 81,678.77 in Monday's trading session. Market experts said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on potential cuts in goods and services tax (GST) has boosted sentiment, especially in consumption-driven sectors. Analysts believe that automobiles, financials, consumer durables, and domestic-oriented industries connected to infrastructure spending stand to gain the most. 'The Prime Minister recent announcement of potential GST reforms is a significant positive. These measures are expected to reduce the cost of essential goods, which should boost consumer spending and corporate profitability. This will likely improve market sentiment and attract fresh investment,' said Sugandha Sachdeva, Founder of SS WealthStreet. Indian equity indices wrapped up the week on a subdued note, pressured by continued selling in key sectors and dampened global cues. The Nifty 50 managed a marginal rise of 11.95 points to close at 24,631.30, while the Sensex added 57.75 points to finish at 80,597.66. According to Choice Broking, Nifty is currently hovering near its short-term support of 24,590 (20-day EMA). 'The broader setup remains cautiously bearish to sideways, with the Nifty trapped between key averages. A breakout above 24,800 could trigger momentum buying towards 25,000+, while a break below 24,300 may invite fresh selling pressure, dragging the index towards 24,000–23,800. Traders should remain tactical with a buy-on-dips and sell-on-rise approach, keeping a close eye on the EMA cluster for directional cues,' the firm said. Support Levels:- 24200-24000 Resistance Levels :- 24700-24800 Overall Bias :- Sideways To Bullish The Bank Nifty index ended the week at 55,341.85, up 0.61% compared to the previous week's close. The weekly chart reflects buying support at lower levels, with the index successfully sustaining above the key 55,000 level. 'The Bank Nifty index formed a bullish-bodied candle with a slight upper wick, accompanied by consistent trading volumes. This price action reflects the possibility of a sideways or consolidation phase in the near term. As long as the index holds above the 54,800 marks, a 'buy on dips'; strategy remains advisable, with upside targets placed at 55,800 and 56,000. The Bank Nifty index is likely to face significant resistance in the 55,500–56,000 range. If the index continues to move higher, ICICI Bank & HDFC Bank from the private banking sector is expected to support the uptrend. Similarly, in the public sector banking space, SBIN is anticipated to show strength and contribute to any potential upside,' the brokerage firm added. Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
24 minutes ago
- Business Standard
MCX share price rises 4% after the company launches Nickel futures
Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) shares rose 3.5 per cent on Monday, August 18, 2025, logging an intra-day high at ₹8,439 per share on BSE. At 11:47 AM, MCX share price was trading 2.35 per cent higher at ₹8,339.95 per share. In comparison, the Sensex was 1.16 per cent higher at 81,533.5. Why were MCX shares rising? The buying on the counter came after the commodity exchange launched the Nickel futures contract, effective today. The contract will contribute to efficient price discovery and encourage greater value chain participation across the country, according to the exchange filing. The launch of the Nickel futures contract will provide a robust mechanism for these industries to help them manage their price risks, making them more competitive. As the contract is rupee-denominated, it will help the participants to not only hedge their commodity price risk but also their currency risk. The trading unit and the delivery unit will be 250 kgs and 1,500 kgs respectively, effective from the September 2025 expiry contract onwards. The tick size will be ₹0.10 per kg, daily price limits of 4 per cent, and margins set at a minimum of 10 per cent or SPAN, whichever is higher. "The relaunch of MCX's nickel contract comes at a timely moment, with Thane district, Maharashtra, designated as the sole delivery centre. By reducing the lot size to 250 kg from the earlier 1,500 kg, MCX is democratising access for a wider pool of participants, especially SMEs and retail investors. This move comes as global markets continue to navigate surplus supply, shifting EV demand dynamics, and geopolitical disruptions. More than just a contract, this relaunch reflects India's ambition to position itself at the core of the global energy transition," said Motilal Oswal. About MCX: MCX, operational since 2003, is India's leading commodity derivatives exchange, and the largest Commodity Options Exchange globally (FIA, 2024), with a market share of about 98 per cent in terms of the value of commodity futures contracts traded in financial year 2024-25. It offers trading in a diverse range of commodities, spanning multiple segments including bullion, energy, metals and agri commodities, as well as sectoral commodity indices. The exchange has forged strategic alliances with various international exchanges, as well as Indian and international trade associations.
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
AI sovereignty will be test for India's tech ‘aatmanirbharta'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address this year felt different. His 103-minute oration, the longest of his tenure, was anchored in the language of national sovereignty. At a time when the United States has imposed tariffs on Indian exports, unsettling trade talks, the PM sought to turn the national conversation from negotiation to assertion, and to the deeper emotion of sovereignty. In this vision, citizens are not just beneficiaries but also guardians of that autonomy. Here, sovereignty takes shape in the capacity to build our own fertilisers, batteries, jet engines and defence systems. It finds expression in the symbolic unveiling of the Sudarshan Chakra defence kit, in the pledge of sweeping GST reform, and in the assurance that farmers and households alike will not be left exposed as the push for self-reliance accelerates. For perspective, one must only count the number of senior officials in Delhi who still use foreign-owned 'gmail', despite possessing official '. addresses. There is a temptation to reduce all this to political choreography. Modi's earlier Red Fort addresses highlighted schemes of inclusion, like Jan Dhan, Swachh Bharat, Ujjwala. But this one is cast in the harder register of industrial resurrection and techno-sovereignty. It is meant to rally households as much as boardrooms. But history is unkind to speeches not backed by delivery. The hardest of India's ambition is to stake a meaningful claim in the global race for emerging technologies. The country missed the first wave (Web1 era), not through want of talent but through want of an ecosystem. In the past decades, its best brains, including mathematicians and engineers, left India, while domestic research budgets stayed meagre, patents were scarce, and private investments low. India became the world's back office, designing chips for others, writing code for global companies, and running IT services, but it rarely created its own products or owned valuable patents. In a fast-moving field like technology, where early movers gain lasting advantages, India fell behind on big breakthroughs in semiconductors, artificial intelligence and the hardware-software frontier. Our universities do not yet produce research at scale, and most industries spend too little on R&D. Our brightest youngsters, especially in areas like AI, quantum and Web3, have also been moving abroad for better opportunities and access to global markets, and this slow drain of talent weakens the very idea of technological sovereignty that India now seeks to champion. Catching up will take more than money. It needs a cultural reset, including in the policy world. India has never invested enough in long-term research or built lasting partnerships between universities and industry. Recent government missions remain far too small for the scale of the challenge. The IndiaAI Mission has a budget of Rs 10,371.92 crore and the National Quantum Mission Rs ₹6003.65 crore over eight years. Compared to what is needed to lead in frontier science, these amounts are tiny. Unless the state commits deeper investment and private capital amplifies it, these missions will remain a scaffolding rather than become engines of change. Frontier technologies do not emerge from frugal innovation or Jugaad. The United States created its lead by binding venture capital with defence research and universities. China, for its part, mobilised the state with massive investments across sectors and then drew in private capital to accelerate research and commercialisation. India has yet to frame AI as core infrastructure rather than a promising sector. To re-enter the race, it will need patient public capital to underwrite risk, regulation that rewards open experimentation, and a cultural shift that prizes invention over execution alone. The next few months will matter less for headline numbers like GDP or inflation, and more for how quickly promises turn into action. If we see ground being broken for chip plants and wider AI ecosystem investments, people will believe the momentum is real. If farmers, small businesses and everyday consumers begin to feel the benefit of GST reform, the idea of shared self-reliance will carry weight. Emotional sovereignty can be a deep moat, but no political or policy fortress stands without delivery. In an era where technology shapes both economic power and national security, India's independence will be measured by the labs and factories built, research funded and commercialised, and AI platforms and ecosystems that are not only homegrown but also globally relevant. The writer is a corporate advisor and author of Family and Dhanda
