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V2V on Every New Vehicle by 2028? The Draft, and the Vehicle Rules Dated 2027 to 2029
Written and checked byManju Shekhar· Motor Law & Compliance
Key points
- Draft rules G.S.R. 665(E), dated 22 July 2026: from 1 October 2027, any vehicle fitted with V2V communication must comply with AIS-230.
- From 1 October 2028, every new vehicle in categories L, M and N would have to be fitted with V2V. As of 18 October 2026 we have not found final rules.
- Final: new cars and light buses are tested on the WLTP cycle for BS-VI from 1 April 2027.
- Final: from 1 April 2027 every tipper and dumper must have a load-body cover and an alert in the driver’s cabin.
- Final: Bharat NCAP assessments move to AIS-197 (Revision 1) on 1 October 2027.
- Draft: BS-VII for cars from 1 April 2029.
What the V2V draft says
On 22 July 2026 the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways published draft rules, G.S.R. 665(E), to add a new sub-rule (4) to Rule 125Q of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. The proposal has two steps:
- Vehicles of categories L, M and N manufactured on or after 1 October 2027, if fitted with Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication systems, shall comply with AIS-230.
- Vehicles of categories L, M and N manufactured on or after 1 October 2028 shall be fitted with V2V communication systems meeting AIS-230.
Which vehicles L, M and N cover
These are the broad vehicle categories used throughout the motor vehicle rules. L covers two- and three-wheelers and quadricycles, M covers vehicles built to carry passengers (cars, vans and buses), and N covers goods vehicles. Together they take in almost every new road vehicle sold in India.
V2V systems let nearby vehicles share their speed, position, direction and acceleration in real time. As the draft was reported, the safety uses include emergency-brake alerts, forward-collision warnings, wrong-way-driving alerts and warnings of an approaching emergency vehicle. These descriptions come from reporting on the draft, not from the Gazette text.
The main dated vehicle rules, 2027 to 2029
The V2V draft is one of several vehicle requirements with dates between now and 2030. Each line below is taken from the Gazette notification named, and the status column tells you whether it is final or still a draft.
| From | What changes | Status | Notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2027 | Top lights on two-wheeled road ambulances must meet AIS-209 (Part 1):2026 | Final | G.S.R. 879(E), Rule 108(8) |
| 1 Apr 2027 | BS-VI emission tests on the WLTP cycle for cars (M1) and for M2 vehicles up to 3,500 kg, all models | Final | G.S.R. 112(E), Rule 115(18)(iA) |
| 1 Apr 2027 | Every tipper and dumper must have a load-body cover and a cabin alert | Final | G.S.R. 712(E), Rule 138B |
| 1 Oct 2027 | Bharat NCAP assessments under AIS-197 (Revision 1) | Final | G.S.R. 540(E), Rule 126E(10) |
| 1 Oct 2027 | L2 two-wheeled road ambulances must conform to AIS-209 (Part 1):2026 | Final | G.S.R. 879(E), Rules 112(10) and 125-F(2) |
| 1 Oct 2027 | Vehicles fitted with V2V must comply with AIS-230 | Draft | G.S.R. 665(E) |
| 1 Oct 2028 | All new L, M and N vehicles must be fitted with V2V | Draft | G.S.R. 665(E) |
| 1 Apr 2029 | BS-VII emission standards for cars (M1) | Draft | G.S.R. 880(E) |
April 2027: cars move to the WLTP test cycle
The Central Motor Vehicles (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 112(E), 4 February 2026) move BS-VI emission testing for M1 vehicles, and for M2 vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3,500 kg, to the Worldwide Harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). This applies to vehicles manufactured on or after 1 April 2027, for all models. The limits stay at BS-VI levels. What changes is the test: a chassis-dynamometer cycle under AIS-175. Petrol vehicles also get an evaporative-emission limit of 2.0 g per test.
April 2027: covered tippers and dumpers
The Central Motor Vehicles (Twelfth Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 712(E), 28 July 2026) add a proviso to Rule 138B. From 1 April 2027, the load body of every dumper and tipper must have a system that covers it from the top and fully encloses it while the vehicle is on the road. The system may be electric, electro-mechanical, hydraulic or mechanical, and may use any suitable material for the roof. An audio-visual alert in the driver’s cabin must warn the driver if the cover is open or unsecured while the vehicle is moving.
Under Rule 93, the cover system is not counted in the vehicle’s overall height. A corrigendum (G.S.R. 737(E), 14 August 2026) also excludes it from the overall width, along with sensors used for driver-assistance systems such as Blind Spot Information and Moving Off Information systems. Those devices must still stay within the prescribed dimensions where a standard specifies them.
October 2027: a revised Bharat NCAP standard
The Central Motor Vehicles (Tenth Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 540(E), 19 June 2026) say that from 1 October 2027, Bharat NCAP assessment and evaluation under Rule 126E will follow AIS-197 (Revision 1), and Form 70A will refer to the revised standard. The ministry received no objections to the draft. The Gazette changes only the standard’s reference; the revised test and scoring protocol is set out in AIS-197 (Revision 1) itself.
Two other drafts still pending
Two drafts that affect drivers rather than manufacturers were also still pending as of 18 October 2026. G.S.R. 664(E) would change how long a PUC certificate lasts, depending on the vehicle’s emission norm and age. G.S.R. 643(E) would set out how the new first-offence warnings under the amended Motor Vehicles Act are recorded. Until they are finalised, the existing rules apply.