BS-IV to BS-VI A LEAP OF FAITH BY AUTOMOTIVE DEALERS

The year 2020 turned out to be a juggernaut given that not only was it the year of BS-IV to BS-VI transition but also one when the corona virus brought the world’s economy to a screeching halt. A N Sivaramakrishnan takes stock of all that has happened since the first rumblings of change began to take place

- Sivaramakrishnan

As I sit down to pen this article and reminisce on the year that passed by, I am caught in a whirlpool of emotions to say the least. In the four decades of association that I have had with the automotive industry in various capacities, there never has been a year so cathartic, never so heart-wrenching, and yet so challenging. The road that has been traversed in the past one year, nay two years, has been so undulating with twists and sharp U-turns that it would put any hill climb to shame! Yes, the year 2020 has been the year of BS-IV to BS-VI transition and of course the year of the coronavirus pandemic. Let me pull back and begin at the beginning! For this one must go back to 2016.

Cranking the Engine of Change

The Government of India had commenced the process of defining emission norms for petrol engine in 1991 and diesel engine vehicles in 1992, followed by compulsory fitment of catalytic converters in petrol-driven cars in 1996. The equivalent of the Euro norms was Bharat Stage emission norms. First introduced in 2000, it called for moving from BS-III to BS-IV by April 1, 2017, BS-V by April 1, 2020 and BS-VI by April 1, 2024. The government announced in January 2016 that effective April 1, 2020 BS-VI would be applied across India for both petrol and diesel engines of all classes. This bold decision to crash timelines was taken as there was no change in fuel specifications between BS-V and BS-VI.