India’s Top Carmaker Resisting More Air Bags

India’s biggest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, is resisting government pressure to increase the number of airbags per car, citing cost concerns, and arguing that the move may not have any significant impact on road safety.

The Indian government, in a bid to improve road safety, has made it mandatory for automakers to equip all new cars with a driver-side airbag starting from April 2019, but Maruti Suzuki and other carmakers are now facing increasing pressure from the government to increase the number of airbags per car.

Maruti Suzuki’s Chairman, R.C. Bhargava, has stated that the company may consider adding more airbags as it develops new models or in higher-end vehicles but that the additional cost and complexity may not always justify the benefits.

“The cost of the car will increase significantly, and for a large number of people, it will be unaffordable,” Bhargava said, adding that “On the other hand, if a car is available to only a small percentage of the population, the number of airbags it has is not going to make much difference to the overall road safety.”

The Indian government’s push for more airbags comes as road accidents in the country continue to cause significant loss of life. India has one of the world’s highest traffic accident rates, with 464,910 accidents and 148,707 fatalities reported in 2019, according to official data.

However, in response to Maruti Suzuki’s resistance, the government has reiterated its commitment to improving road safety and is considering increasing the number of mandatory airbags in all cars. The additional cost of the airbags is expected to be around $180 per car.

Several other carmakers, including Toyota and Tata Motors, have already begun adding more airbags to their cars, anticipating a government mandate.

• India’s biggest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, is resisting government pressure to increase the number of airbags per car, citing cost concerns.
• The Indian government has made it mandatory for automakers to equip all new cars with a driver-side airbag starting from April 2019.
• Maruti Suzuki’s Chairman, R.C. Bhargava, has stated that the company may consider adding more airbags as it develops new models or in higher-end vehicles.
• The Indian government is considering increasing the number of mandatory airbags in all cars as road accidents in the country continue to cause significant loss of life.