BS-VII Norms Proposed From April 2029 — What India's New Emission Rules Mean for Car Buyers

India Moves to Regulate More Than the Tailpipe

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed India's next big step in vehicle regulation. A draft notification dated 12 October, published in the Gazette on 14 October, sets out Bharat Stage VII (BS-VII) emission norms for passenger cars and SUVs from 1 April 2029. What makes this round different is that the rules reach well beyond the exhaust pipe.

The draft, which covers M1-category vehicles such as cars and SUVs with up to eight seats besides the driver, will be implemented in three phases. It adds brake and tyre particulate pollution, tighter real-world emissions testing, electric-vehicle battery durability requirements and an "Environmental Vehicle Passport" for owners. The ministry has invited objections and suggestions within 30 days.

Phase	Effective from	What changes
Phase 1	1 April 2029	BS-VII for M1 cars and SUVs; EV battery durability rules begin
Phase 2	1 April 2031	Brake particulate (PM10) limits: 3 mg/km for pure EVs, 7 mg/km for ICE, hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles
Phase 3	1 April 2035	A uniform 3 mg/km brake limit for all M1 vehicles

The Battery Rules Are the Real Story

For electric-car buyers, the most consequential clause is battery durability. Under the proposal, pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids built on or after 1 April 2029 must retain at least 75 percent of their original battery energy capacity during the first five years or 1,00,000 km, whichever comes first. From there, the minimum drops to 67 percent up to eight years or 1,60,000 km.

That is a meaningful shift. Until now, battery health has been a manufacturer promise, not a legal floor. A durability norm gives used-EV buyers something to check and puts real pressure on makers to engineer packs that age slowly, which matters in a market where resale value decides many purchases.

Why Carmakers Want More Time

Industry reaction has been cautious. Executives warned that an April 2029 start could disrupt product launch schedules and slow electric-vehicle development, because engineering and testing teams would be pulled towards upgrading existing petrol and diesel models to comply. Internal-combustion vehicles still make up roughly nine in ten units most manufacturers sell. Industry representatives have argued that a phased transition beginning in 2032 would be more pragmatic, and some makers may revisit launch plans between 2027 and 2030.

The draft also tightens real-driving emissions testing with a conformity factor of 1.0 for NOx and particle numbers for type approval from 1 April 2030, and from April 2032, monitoring data must be readable through the vehicle's OBD port.

What This Means for You

Nothing changes for the car you buy this festive season. But the direction is clear. Emission rules are shifting from a single tailpipe test to a whole-life view that includes brakes, tyres, software and battery health. If you are buying an EV in the next two years, expect durability data to become a talking point in showrooms. If you are buying a petrol or diesel car, the next-generation engines are already being designed around this framework. Buyers can track running costs and fuel prices on our fuel price page, and compare powertrains side by side using the Compare tool.

(Sources: MoRTH draft notification dated 12 October 2026, published 14 October 2026; Business Standard; The Hindu; The Hindu BusinessLine. Image credits: NASA MODIS, Public Domain; CNG filling station, Delhi by Subhashish Panigrahi, CC BY-SA 3.0; EV Charging Station Idukki Dam Park, CC BY-SA 4.0; Indian Oil filling station, CC BY-SA 4.0.)

::KEY_NUMBERS:: First phase | April 2029 Phases | 3 (2029, 2031, 2035) EV battery retention | 75% in 5 years or 1 lakh km Brake PM10 limit | 3 mg/km for EVs by 2035 ::TLDR:: MoRTH has proposed BS-VII for cars and SUVs from 1 April 2029 in three phases The draft adds brake and tyre particulate limits, real-world NOx testing and EV battery durability Carmakers want the deadline pushed to 2032, warning of launch disruption Public objections are open for 30 days ::CHART:: type: bar title: Brake particulate limits (mg/km) labels: Pure EVs,ICE and hybrids,All M1 from April 2035 values: 3,7,3 source: MoRTH draft BS-VII notification ::TIMELINE:: 12 Oct 2026 | MoRTH issues the draft notification 14 Oct 2026 | Draft published in the Gazette, 30-day comment window opens 1 Apr 2029 | BS-VII Phase 1 begins 1 Apr 2031 | Phase 2, brake PM10 limits begin 1 Apr 2035 | Phase 3, uniform 3 mg/km limit ::GLOSSARY:: BS-VII | Bharat Stage VII, India's next emission standard after BS-VI PM10 | fine particulate matter up to 10 micrometres wide OBD | On-Board Diagnostics, a car's built-in fault-checking system ::PULLQUOTE:: The clock on India's next emission leap has started, and this time it counts battery health alongside tailpipe smoke. ::POLL:: Should India hold BS-VII at April 2029 or move it to 2032? || Hold 2029 || Move to 2032 || Split the phases ::SOURCES:: MoRTH draft notification (12 October 2026), Business Standard, The Hindu