Indians considered only mileage and cost before buying a car, but with growing awareness people have started looking for advanced safety featuresÂ
The recent death of Cyrus Mistry, former chairman of Tata Sons, in a road accident has once again given rise to the debate
In India, the driver airbag has been made mandatory in July 2019
In 2021, airbag for the front row co-passenger was also made compulsory by the government
The automakers didn't adhere to the new rules, but they had to follow the guidelines as there was immense pressure from customers
Last year, Minister for Road Transport made 6 airbags compulsory in eight-seater capacity cars from 1 October 2022
Many luxury and high-end cars, including some mid-variant and SUVs in India are offering 6 or more airbags
However, the problem is with small cars as manufacturers have raised objections to implement the guidelines
If manufacturers equip cars with all safety features, the price of the small cars will increase naturally which may eventually affect sales