India plans to introduce BS-VII emission standards for new cars and SUVs from April 2029, followed by small goods delivery and pick-up vans from April 2030 and heavy-duty vehicles from April 2031, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
The proposed standards will be introduced in phases across vehicle categories. The official said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved the proposed guidelines and that draft notifications are expected this week.
The new norms are planned to fully align with Euro 7 standards, according to the official. The move will set the next regulatory benchmark for emissions from newly manufactured vehicles and will affect passenger vehicles, commercial vans and heavy-duty vehicles in separate implementation stages.
Bharat Stage, or BS, standards prescribe limits for pollutants released by vehicles. These include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter, which are among the emissions associated with road transport and urban air pollution.
India has been operating under BS-VI emission standards since April 2020. The country skipped BS-V and moved directly from BS-IV to BS-VI as part of an effort to accelerate the reduction of vehicle emissions. BS-VI vehicles emit lower levels of pollutants and use low-sulphur fuel.
The proposed BS-VII rollout extends that regulatory framework to the next generation of vehicles. New cars and SUVs would be the first category covered from April 2029. Small goods delivery and pick-up vans would follow from April 2030, while heavy-duty vehicles would come under the standards from April 2031.
The phased schedule is significant for cities because vehicle categories do not operate in isolation. Passenger cars form a large part of daily urban traffic, while delivery vans and heavy-duty vehicles support goods movement through neighbourhoods, markets, industrial areas and intercity corridors. The proposed timeline therefore links vehicle regulation with the way urban transport and logistics systems are managed.
The announcement does not yet provide the detailed technical requirements, testing procedures or compliance timelines that will apply to manufacturers and vehicle owners. Those details are expected to be set out in the draft notifications due this week.
The government’s next formal step is the release of the draft BS-VII notifications. The proposed standards will then establish the requirements for the phased introduction of compliant new vehicles beginning with cars and SUVs in April 2029.
