Top two-wheeler makers force rethink on antilock braking system mandate ahead of Jan 1 deadline

helmets with every vehicle purchase from 1 January 2026. However, industry representatives cautioned that meeting the timeline would be difficult due to limited supplier capacity.Manufacturers pitched for a phased rollout instead of a hard deadline.

ABS suppliers in India include Bosch India, Continental and Endurance Technologies.Automakers also argued that clearer evidence was needed to establish that universal ABS installation would materially reduce accidents before positioning it as a blanket solution. As an alternative, companies suggested the use of more advanced CBS systems in lower-capacity vehicles.According to one executive, the government was initially unwilling to delay the norms given its focus on improving road safety.

However, industry arguments around supply readiness and lack of global precedent appear to have softened that stance, with officials still finalizing the rules.Subhabrata Sengupta, partner at Avalon Consulting, said the norms could be delayed by a few months, adding that the tight deadline may nonetheless have nudged companies into preparing faster.“Best case is a firm deadline and consensus deployment, but when industry is not very keen, probably some ad-hocism is needed,” Sengupta said.ABS helps prevent wheel lock and skidding during sudden braking, particularly on slippery surfaces.Sengupta noted that while advanced CBS works well in most scenarios, ABS remains superior in extreme conditions. “Probably in 90% cases it is ok, but the remaining 10%—rain, for instance—is important,” he said.Another industry executive said there is no data to prove that installing ABS reduces accidents."During consultations, it was not proved that ABS reduces accidents.