From mileage to mayday: Why Indian car buyers are now obsessed with safety stars
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Carmakers Investing in Safety R&D
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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.
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