The different standards in place for original equipment and replacement auto parts can cause major issues related to safety, emissions and performance of the vehicle, the government has said in the new draft National Automotive Policy.
Currently, automotive components being supplied to original equipment manufacturers in India must conform to Automotive Industry Standards guidelines, whereas those being sold through the aftermarket channel need to be certified as per Bureau of Indian Standards. “Discrepancies between the standards of new and replacement parts can cause major issues in safety, emissions, and performance of the vehicle. Also, the dual certification requirements lead to higher cost of compliance for smaller manufacturers. The Department of Heavy Industry had sought stakeholders’ comments on the draft policy by February 26, and expects to finalise the policy ingredients in a couple of months,” according to officials.
Shift to cleaner vehicles
Besides, poor domestic capability for producing components used in green vehicles will be a major bottleneck for shifting to cleaner vehicles, the government said in the draft policy, observing there is a “critical need” to improve technology access, capability and skill levels of component manufacturers.
According to the draft policy, technology transfer and domestic capability building has potential growth opportunity in auto components sector after the entry of several international component manufacturers.
