MoRTH draft proposes AEBS in new cars from October 2030

By Akash Gupta · 24 Oct, 2026

MoRTH's draft rules propose Advanced Emergency Braking in new M1 car models from 1 Oct 2030 and all models from 1 Oct 2032, but the proposal is not yet law.

MoRTH draft proposes AEBS in new cars from October 2030

MoRTH has proposed making Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) mandatory for new M1 car models manufactured from 1 Oct 2030 and for all M1 models from 1 Oct 2032. The change is still a draft, so it does not alter the equipment, legality or replacement needs of cars already on Indian roads.

Key takeaways

The proposal is in draft notification G.S.R. 904(E), dated 19 Oct 2026 and published in the Gazette of India on 22 Oct 2026.
New M1 models would need AEBS from 1 Oct 2030; the requirement would extend to all M1 models manufactured from 1 Oct 2032.
M1 means passenger vehicles with up to eight passenger seats besides the driver. The draft does not set a retrofit deadline for vehicles made before those dates.
M1 and N1 vehicles that already offer AEBS from 1 Oct 2028 would have to comply with the AIS-185 standard.
Public comments are invited for 30 days before the government considers whether to finalise or change the rules.

What the MoRTH draft proposes

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The draft notification, G.S.R. 904(E), says the government will consider objections and suggestions received during a 30-day consultation period. It is therefore a proposed rule, not a requirement that car owners must follow today.

The central change is a phased AEBS requirement for M1 vehicles. AEBS is the formal name used in the draft for a system that can warn the driver and apply the brakes when the driver does not respond to a potential collision. The relevant standard is Automotive Industry Standard AIS-185.

Proposed date	What the draft says	Who it affects
1 Oct 2028	If AEBS is provided, it must conform to AIS-185.	M1 passenger vehicles and N1 goods vehicles manufactured from this date
1 Oct 2030	AEBS would be required on vehicles manufactured as new M1 models from this date.	New passenger-car models
1 Oct 2032	AEBS would be required on all M1 models manufactured from this date.	New and continuing passenger-car models

N1 refers to goods vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. The first row is a standards-compliance trigger when AEBS is offered; it is not the same as making AEBS compulsory on every N1 vehicle under this draft.

What automatic emergency braking means for drivers

AEBS is an assistance system, not a replacement for the driver. It is designed to detect a possible forward collision, warn the driver and intervene with braking when the driver has not reacted. Depending on the system and test conditions, the intervention may prevent a collision or reduce its severity. Drivers would still need to steer, observe the road and follow the vehicle maker's operating instructions.

The draft also matters because it would move a feature that is currently concentrated in selected models and variants into the baseline safety discussion for passenger cars. The notification specifies the performance standard and manufacturing dates, but it does not announce a rupee amount for the technology or promise that every vehicle will use identical sensors, software or driver alerts.

What changes for current and future car buyers

There is no immediate purchase or ownership rule to apply. Because the draft is written around manufacturing dates, it does not create a retrofit deadline for vehicles built before 1 Oct 2030 or make an existing car non-compliant simply because it lacks AEBS. That position could only change through a later notification or another applicable rule.

For a future purchase, the useful distinction will be between a model introduced before the proposed new-model date and a model manufactured after it. Buyers comparing vehicles can check the final rule, the vehicle's compliance information, the exact ADAS functions supplied on the chosen variant and the conditions under which AEBS can intervene. A safety feature described as automatic braking should not be read as a guarantee that a crash will always be avoided.

The draft does not quantify a price increase. AEBS hardware, software, calibration and testing could be packaged differently across vehicle segments, so any cost effect will depend on the final standard and how manufacturers implement it. A buyer looking at total ownership cost can still compare the vehicle's running assumptions with the fuel cost calculator while the regulatory proposal is being considered.

Extra focus on taxis and commercial vehicles

The draft covers more than private cars. From 1 Oct 2029, M1 vehicles to be registered as transport vehicles would be required to have Automatic Command Steering Functionalities, Emergency Lane Keeping Systems and driver-drowsiness and attention-warning systems, each conforming to its specified Automotive Industry Standard. Those provisions point to a stronger focus on taxis and other passenger vehicles that spend long hours in traffic.

For N1 goods vehicles, the draft's AEBS clause is narrower: vehicles manufactured from 1 Oct 2028 that are equipped with AEBS must meet AIS-185. It does not, in the quoted clause, set the same 2030 or 2032 universal fitment dates for N1 vehicles. That distinction matters to small commercial-vehicle operators comparing model updates and fleet replacement plans.

Other safety requirements in the same draft

MoRTH has proposed a wider set of changes around vehicle control and occupant protection. Steering effort on most motor vehicles would have to meet AIS-193 from 1 Oct 2027, with motorcycles, invalid carriages and three-wheelers without a steering wheel excluded from that provision. M1 vehicles with Emergency Lane Keeping Systems or driver-attention systems would have to meet AIS-191 Part 1 or AIS-184 when those systems are offered from the relevant dates.

The proposal also includes staged requirements for luggage retention and ISOFIX-related child-seat anchorages. New M1 models would face luggage-retention requirements from 1 Apr 2028 and all M1 models from 1 Oct 2028. Where ISOFIX or i-Size systems are fitted, the draft sets separate AIS-182 compliance dates for new and existing model lines. These are proposals within the same consultation, not rules that have already taken effect.

What happens next

The ministry has invited objections and suggestions before considering the draft after the consultation period. The final text could retain the dates, change the scope or use a different implementation schedule. Until a final notification is issued and its effective dates arrive, vehicle owners do not need to retrofit AEBS or change a current registration because of this proposal.

For now, the practical step is to distinguish confirmed vehicle equipment from proposed regulation when reading a brochure or planning a replacement. For long-distance travel, drivers can continue to use the road-trip planner for route preparation and follow official vehicle instructions for any ADAS already fitted. FuelPrice will track the final notification and any implementation changes in its latest news archive.