BS6 emission norms marked a major shift in India’s vehicle emission regulations. However, it is now time for the automobile market to start preparing for yet another evolution. With the European Commission recently announcing its plan to roll out the Euro Seven norms beginning in July 2025, sooner or later, the norms will arrive in India as the Bharat Stage 7 Norms. Regardless of when the norms are implemented, they are expected to have a massive impact on the norms we will have in the future for diesel engines and the automobile industry as a whole. Since complying with BS6 norms has already been challenging for OEMs, it will be interesting to see how the stakeholders will react to the stricter BS7 norms. Until then, here is everything we know about the upcoming Bharat Stage 7 Norms in India.
What Are BS7 Emission Norms?
Regulated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway, Bharat Stage Emission Norms refer to the standards to be followed by automakers in India to regulate and control vehicular emissions. With a focused approach towards carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and Oxides of Nitrogen and Hydrocarbons, Bharat Stage Norms are aimed towards improving the environment by tackling vehicular emissions.
Formed on the lines of the Euro Emissions Standard, Bharat Stage Norms were initially introduced in the year 2000 and have since been regularly updated to make automobiles cleaner and more environmentally friendly. Much like the previous iterations of Bharat Stage norms, the Bharat Stage 7 or BS7 Norms will be based on the Euro 7 Norms that are expected to come into force by mid-2025. The exact timeline for implementing BS7 norms in India will be decided by the Central Pollution Control Board at a later stage. The Union Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari, has already made a firm call to automakers in India to start preparing for BS7 norms.
BS7 Regulation Compliance
With the Bharat Stage 7 or BS7 Norms in place, uniform emission standards will be set for all motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, lorries, etc. These norms will be independent of the fuel and transmission type of the vehicle, with petrol, diesel and even hybrid and electric cars subjected to the same standards. For instance, the Nitrogen Oxide norms under BS6 are set at 60mg/km for petrol vehicles and 80 mg/km for diesel vehicles. With the BS7 norms in place, the limit would be set at 60 mg/km, irrespective of the fuel type.
Once in place, the BS7 norms will apply stringent restrictions to control vehicular emissions, especially for heavy-duty vehicles, with emission particles such as Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) being regulated for the first time. For passenger cars, the BS7 norms will also introduce stricter limits for particulate emissions while braking. In fact, the BS7 regulation will be India’s first emission regulation to govern more than just tailpipe emissions, to include microplastic and brake emissions.
Compliance with BS7 norms will also include following rules relating to the battery longevity index of EVs to enhance the overall safety of Electric vehicles and to promote less frequent battery replacement. Other changes that will follow the compliance of BS7 norms will include the introduction of On-Board Monitoring or OBM, which will have systems connected to the vehicle’s OBD to measure real-time and real-word tailpipe emissions.
BS7 Norms In India: Summary
With the European Commission planning to introduce Euro 7 norms from mid-2025, India too has started preparing for Bharat Stage 7 norms that will be framed in sync with the Euro 7 norms. Once introduced, the BS7 norms will bring in stricter rules to govern vehicular emissions, with uniform norms applying to every fuel type for the first time. With Nitin Gadkari already making a firm stance, calling OEMs to prepare for upcoming changes, it will be interesting to see what impact the upcoming norms have on both OEMs and end consumers.
Also Read: Bharat Stage Emission Norms: BS-I, BS-II, BS-III, BS-IV, BS-VI Explained
FAQs
Q: What are BS7 norms?
A: Regulated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highway, Bharat Stage Emission Norms refer to the standards to be followed by automakers in India to regulate and control vehicular emissions.
Q: When will BS7 norms come to India?
A: BS7 norms are expected to be implemented anywhere between 2026 and 27.
Q: How is BS7 different from BS6?
A: One key change introduced by BS7 norms will be the uniform implementation, independent of the fuel and transmission type of the vehicle. For instance, the Nitrogen Oxide norms under BS6 are set at 60mg/km for petrol vehicles and 80 mg/km for diesel vehicles. With the BS7 norms in place, the limit would be set at 60 mg/km, irrespective of the fuel type.
