India is likely to release a draft framework for the next stage of Bharat Stage (BS) vehicle emission standards, or BS7, in the next couple of months, according to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Secretary V Umashankar.
“We are ready with the next level of BS standards and the final consultations are underway. We hopefully should be in a position to bring out the draft in a couple of months’ time for the BS 7 introduction,” Umashankar said while speaking at SIAM's 66th Annual Convention.
“I think the industry is also preparing itself for it. The key challenge there would be the timelines,” he added.
From BS6 to BS7: What Changes in India's Emission Norms
India currently follows BS6 emission standards, which came into force in April 2020. BS7 would mark the next stage of India's vehicle emission regulations, with a greater focus on pollution levels from vehicles in real-world driving conditions rather than laboratory testing alone.
BS7 vs CAFE Norms: How the Two Regulations Differ
The planned BS7 framework comes as the government also works on the next phase of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) norms, though the two sets of regulations address different aspects of vehicle emissions.
BS standards regulate pollutants emitted by individual vehicles, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. CAFE norms, on the other hand, set fuel-efficiency and carbon dioxide targets for an automaker's overall fleet of passenger vehicles.