Each Airbag Costs Just Rs 800, Says Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
The new mandatory six-airbags rule is supposed to be in effect from October this year
During the Rajya Sabha’s Question Hour, the Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, claimed that each airbag costs just Rs 800. The government wants to provide airbags for all the people seated inside the car.
The government is pushing to make six airbags a mandatory safety feature for all cars sold in India. The rule is supposed to kick in from October this year, but the government is yet to put in the final notification. Here’s our in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of the addition of six airbags.
The cost of fitting side airbags should be minor, while the curtain airbag needs to be re-engineered if it is not offered already in India or any overseas market in a particular car. So, as per our estimate, four additional airbags could demand a premium of around Rs 30,000. For reference, the Baleno is the most affordable car with six airbags and the safety feature is offered from its second-to-top Zeta variant. Now, this variant demands a hike of Rs 90,000 over the Delta variant, but with a lot of feature additions.
The entire upgrade will also affect entry-level cars, which would get a considerable price hike. The likes of Alto, Wagon R, Tiago, KUV100, and Kwid could face the heat. Maruti Suzuki also hinted that it is sceptical about the implementation of the six airbags rule. Mahindra said SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) is in talks with the ministry so that the deadline could be extended to a more acceptable timeline.