India’s next vehicle emission standards would look beyond the smoke coming out of a vehicle’s exhaust. The proposed Bharat Stage VII (BS-VII) rules would also address pollution from brakes and tyres, check how well electric-vehicle batteries hold up over time, and require manufacturers to test vehicles under more realistic driving conditions.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed bringing in the standards gradually, starting with passenger cars from April 1, 2029, light commercial vehicles from April 2030, and buses and heavy trucks from April 2031. The draft notifications were published in October 2026. They invite public comments for 30 days from the date copies of the notifications are made available to the public. The standards could change before they are finalised.

What is changing from BS-VI to BS-VII?

India moved to Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission standards nationwide in April 2020. Those rules tightened limits on pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter and introduced real-driving emissions tests for applicable vehicles.

The proposed BS-VII standards would go beyond exhaust emissions measured in tests. They propose measuring smaller particles, checking emissions under real-world driving conditions and monitoring how vehicles’ emissions-control systems perform over time.

For passenger cars, the draft retains the principal tailpipe emission limits for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and exhaust particulate matter. The proposed changes focus instead on additional emissions testing and monitoring, along with controls on pollution beyond the exhaust.

The draft proposes on-road testing with portable equipment as part of type approval from April 2030. It also provides for monitoring emissions and fuel or electric energy consumption, with requirements phased in over time.

In effect, BS-VII would place greater emphasis on how vehicles perform under real-world driving conditions and how their emissions-control systems behave over time, rather than relying only on laboratory tests.

How will exhaust emissions and particulate pollution be curbed?

For cars, the draft retains the principal limits on three main exhaust pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). For particulate emissions, it proposes lowering the particle-number measurement threshold from 23 nanometres to 10 nanometres, bringing smaller particles within the measurement regime.

The proposed standards also strengthen the focus on emissions under real-world driving conditions, through on-road testing with portable equipment and monitoring of emissions-control systems over time.

Under the proposed standards, a petrol car would be allowed to emit up to 1,000 mg of carbon monoxide and 60 mg of nitrogen oxides per kilometre. For a diesel car, the respective limits would be 500 mg and 80 mg per kilometre. For both types of car, the proposed limit for particulate matter would be 4.5 mg per kilometre.

Cars would also face a limit on fuel vapour escaping from the fuel system. An on-board monitoring system would have to detect specified emissions exceedances, including levels at least 2.5 times the relevant limit. The draft says the monitoring data must be available through the vehicle’s diagnostic port for vehicles manufactured from April 1, 2032.

The proposal also seeks to address particles released by brakes and tyres, rather than just vehicle exhausts. Brakes release particles as their surfaces wear down, while tyres shed material as they rub against the road.

For passenger cars, the draft proposes brake-particle limits of 3 mg per km for pure electric cars and 7 mg per km for other specified vehicle types from April 2031. The limit would be 3 mg per km across powertrains from April 2035. Tyre-abrasion requirements are proposed from April 2031, but the numerical limits are to be notified separately.

Will car engines have to change?

The draft sets emission limits and testing requirements but does not prescribe a particular engine design. The changes manufacturers may need to make to meet the proposed standards will depend on the vehicle and its existing technology.

Manufacturers will have to show that vehicles meet the proposed standards through testing and checks. Some may need to assess changes to sensors, engine controls, exhaust-treatment systems or software.

The rules also go beyond engines. Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids would have to meet proposed battery-performance benchmarks, while manufacturers would need to demonstrate compliance with the proposed brake and tyre-particle requirements.

What about trucks, buses and light commercial vehicles?

Light commercial vehicles, such as small goods carriers, would follow a year after cars, from April 2030. The draft sets category-specific emission limits, with requirements varying by vehicle weight. Their brake-particle requirements would begin in April 2032, with a common limit across powertrains proposed from 2035. The numerical limits are to be notified separately.

Buses and heavy trucks are covered by a separate draft and would be brought in from April 2031. Because they do much heavier work than cars, their exhaust limits are expressed against the energy produced by the engine, rather than the distance driven. The draft sets limits for nitrogen oxides and particles, and also for gases such as ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide.

The heavy-vehicle rules would come in stages. Exhaust limits, on-road testing and onboard monitoring are proposed from April 2031. From April 2033, the draft proposes additional monitoring and brake-particle requirements. Tyre-abrasion requirements are proposed from April 2035. The numerical limits for brake particles, tyre wear and battery performance are to be notified separately.

The draft also proposes emissions-durability requirements for buses and trucks, with periods varying by vehicle category and weight. The longest proposed period extends to 875,000 km or 15 years.

What is in store for older vehicles?

The proposed BS-VII standards set new emission and testing requirements for vehicles manufactured from the specified dates. They do not set out a nationwide programme to retrofit or replace existing BS-VI cars.

For passenger cars covered by the draft, emissions compliance would be checked over the vehicle’s lifetime. The proposed main period is up to 160,000 km or eight years, whichever comes first, followed by an additional period extending to 200,000 km or 10 years.

What will the rules mean for electric cars?

The draft sets battery-energy performance benchmarks for applicable electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Batteries would have to retain at least 75% of their original energy capacity after five years or 1,00,000 km, and at least 67% after eight years or 1,60,000 km, whichever comes first at each stage. However, the detailed minimum-performance requirements and test procedures for battery durability are to be notified separately.

The proposal also includes an Environmental Vehicle Passport, which would give vehicle users access to up-to-date information on fuel consumption, traction-battery health and pollutant emissions, including data generated by onboard systems and monitors. The draft also requires the passport to be displayed inside the vehicle.

What have manufacturers said?

Automakers have reportedly been considering seeking a later start for the proposed BS-VII emission standards, along with a phased rollout in 2032 and 2035. They have cited the technological changes involved and what they view as inadequate lead time to prepare for the new requirements.

The proposed timelines could affect vehicle-launch schedules and add to the cost of testing, certification and compliance. Industry concerns have reportedly also included the possibility that engineering resources needed to meet BS-VII requirements could be diverted from electric-vehicle development.

File photo of Union Finance Minister NIrmala Sitharaman.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Loss-making Air India has set up a multi-disciplinary team to identify cost-saving opportunities, with the new CEO Tewolde Gebremariam urging the staff to embed a mindset of frugality and accountability in all their works.

Mr. Gebremariam, who officially took over the reins as CEO and MD on October 1, told the employees this week that every rupee saved creates an opportunity to reinvest in areas that matter the most, including operations and customer experience.

The airline will also be launching ‘PRABHAV – The Value Creator Award’, an initiative to gather cost-reduction ideas from the staff, and those providing ideas that can be implemented will be rewarded.

“A multidisciplinary, cross-functional Cost Savings Team has been established on full-time basis to identify cost-saving opportunities across the organisation,” he said in a message to the staff on October 12.

The team will systematically review all expenditure and identify cost-saving opportunities across functions, he said and mentioned that the airline was navigating an exceptionally challenging operating environment.

“Ongoing airspace closures, the conflict in the Middle East and its resulting operational disruptions, and persistently high jet fuel costs continue to place significant pressure on airlines across the industry,” he said.

Air India, which is jointly owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, recorded a consolidated loss of Rs 22,238.23 crore for 2025-26 financial year.

According to Mr. Gebremariam, ‘PRABHAV’ will invite ideas from employees that reduce costs through smarter ways of working, improved utilisation, improved processes, contract optimisation and/or renegotiation, insourcing of outsourced activities and optimal use of resources.

Also, the ideas can be on cost effective and efficient procurement of goods and services and waste reduction, questioning the status quo or maximise revenue through new opportunities and deriving greater value from the existing products, services and capabilities, he added.

The airline has also made changes to the approval matrix for SOD (Staff On Duty).

From October 1, all approvals will now be routed through the HOD, CXO, and CEO, ensuring greater rigour, transparency, and alignment in decision-making across the organisation, Mr. Gebremariam said in the message.

Air India’s consolidated loss widened to Rs 22,238.23 crore in the fiscal year ended March 2026 from Rs 10,858.83 crore a year ago amid multiple headwinds.

During the same period, total income declined to Rs 71,869.94 crore from Rs 78,635.61 crore, according to regulatory filings. The consolidated figures include financials of Air India Express.

Stressing the importance of being cost consciousness, the CEO said that alongside operational excellence, “we need to embed a mindset of frugality, accountability, and thoughtful decision-making in everything that they do”.

“By embracing a culture of accountability, prudent spending, and operational excellence, each of us can play a meaningful role in shaping Air India’s long-term success,” he said.

He also said that cost savings cannot be driven by a single team and requires the active participation and commitment of every employee.

An Ethiopian Airlines veteran, Mr. Gebremariam is the second foreigner to head Air India, which was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.

Published – October 16, 2026 11:56 am IST

Image used for representational purposes only.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Image used for representation purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

An ambitious public-private partnership project by an Agriculture Ministry body to install automatic rain gauges and automatic weather stations in States is proceeding at a crawl, with completion rates in the single digits and at least a year behind deadline. Over 96% of planned sensors are yet to be installed.

The reason, companies tasked with the implementation say, is a paucity of land to install these weather stations and an alleged “retrospective” insistence by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that these sensors be set up on the ground rather than on rooftops.

The Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS) is a programme to set up a nationwide network of weather sensors to supply hyper-local weather data. This is mainly to aid in computing insurance estimates and payouts under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). It is run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and executed through the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC). 

Over 50,000 sensors planned

Under the WINDS network, the States, through their implementing private partners, are required to set up the sensor network. The Hindu could confirm that three companies — Skymet Weather Services; Ingen Technologies Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weather Risk Management Services; and Azista Industries — were collectively asked to instal 1,197 automatic weather stations (AWSs) and 49,313 automatic rain gauges (ARGs), or about 50,500 sensors in all. 

An ARG measures rainfall only, though about 10% of ARGs at the gram panchayat level also carry a temperature sensor. An AWS measures rainfall along with air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction. Data from these sensors flow into data centres run by government agencies, to prepare hourly, daily, and fortnightly forecasts.

Majority of proposed sites rejected

According to documents viewed by The Hindu, Uttar Pradesh was to have installed 27,487 ARGs — over half the ARG target — followed by Uttarakhand (7,983), Odisha (7,286), Assam (2,140), and Himachal Pradesh (about 3,550). 

For AWSs, Odisha’s target was the largest at 434, ahead of Assam (196), U.P. (157), and Kerala (148). According to a status update on September 9 — the latest that The Hindu was able to confirm — the network has delivered 113 AWSs (9.4% of target) and 1,730 ARGs (4%), leaving a shortfall of about 48,700 (96%). 

The bottleneck is mostly site selection rather than hardware, the documents reveal. Of the 27,644 sites in U.P., 16,478 were rejected. In Odisha, 5,666 of 7,720 sites were rejected, while 524 of 946 sites were rejected in Kerala. The documents also flag hundreds of “duplicate sites” that were approved at the panchayat and block level but need re-checking, sites pending clearances, and those which the States have yet to share with the implementing partners.

Retrospective changes

A representative of one of the private partner companies, who asked not to be named, told The Hindu that the delays stem from a shortage of suitable land and from the requirement that rain gauges be placed on the ground rather than on rooftops. He blamed changes made to the WINDS guidelines “retrospectively.”

The manual published on September 1, 2023 allowed an ARG to be placed on the roof of a single-storey building where siting requirements could not be met or in flood-prone areas, he claimed, adding that the IMD had approved this as a member of the WINDS Committee. About two and a half years later, and after six States had already issued tenders or work orders, the Agriculture Department amended the manual on the IMD’s advice on December 3, 2025, to retroactively limit rooftop ARGs to just 10% to 15% of the total, he said. 

‘Height affects weather data’

IMD officials contend that the requirement that ARGs and AWSs be located on the ground is “essential” to ensure that the data collected is accurate.

“The underlying principle – and this is a requirement of the World Meteorological Organisation whose guidelines we adhere to – is that sensors must be on the ground and only in exceptional situations be situated on rooftops. Height significantly affects weather data,” S. Hosalikar, a former senior meteorologist with the IMD and a member of the 2023 committee, told The Hindu.

The 2023 document says: “ARGs shall be located on a level piece of ground, covered with short grass or natural earth,” ideally 4×3 metres in size. “If suitable siting requirements are not met or in case of flood prone areas,” the ARG can go on “the rooftop of the one-story building… rooftop units need a stable foundation and a tamper-proof setup,” adds the document, which was perused by The Hindu.

Cap on rooftop sensors

The manual sets no numerical cap on rooftop units. This only appears in the 2025 amendment which specifies a 10% cap. It also requires that rooftop installations be allowed only if States issue a justification note saying there is no suitable ground space. In flood- or landslide-prone regions, the ceiling is 15%, with prior State recommendation and approval sent to the WINDS Committee.

“Measuring rainfall from the top of the building and from the ground makes a significant difference as some part of falling rain evaporates. Secondly, a consistent network of ground-based sensors is necessary to ensure standardised data, which is difficult to achieve if sensors are on rooftops (with variable heights). India lives in its villages and it should not be that challenging to get small plots of land,” IMD director general M. Mohapatra told The Hindu. He underlined that the IMD was only a technical partner for the project and was not administering it.

The Hindu reached out to Soumya Bandopadhyay, director of the MNCFC, the nodal agency in charge of the project, seeking a comment but did not get any response till the time of going to press.

Published – October 15, 2026 11:02 pm IST

India’s oil imports from both the U.S. and the UAE surged in August, with the American oil coming at a substantial premium compared to the average price India paid for oil imports. File
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The overall Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), for persons aged 15 years and above, remained at 55.5% in September, compared to 55.6% in August.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

India’s oil imports from both the U.S. and the UAE surged in August, with the American oil coming at a substantial premium compared to the average price India paid for oil imports. File
| Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto