India to Phase In BS-VII Emission Norms Aligned with Euro 7 Between April 2029 and April 2035

Key facts

• The government will roll out BS-VII emission standards, aligned with Euro 7 norms, in three phases from April 2029 to April 2035, starting with new cars and SUVs from April 2029, small goods delivery and pick-up vans from 2030, and buses and heavy-duty vehicles from April 2031.
• The road transport ministry has approved the proposed timeline, and draft notifications for the three vehicle categories are expected within days; norms for two-wheelers will be notified later.
• BS-VII will not require changes in refinery infrastructure for petrol and diesel, unlike BS-VI rolled out from April 2020, but will require the automobile sector to upgrade engines.
• The norms will not affect existing vehicles, including BS-VI-compliant ones, and will strengthen monitoring of real-world driving emissions throughout a vehicle's operational life.
• For cars and SUVs, cut-off limits of emission components remain unchanged from BS-VI, but the particulate number limit is reduced from 23 nanometres to 10 nanometres to capture previously unregulated ultrafine particles.
• For trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, BS-VII aims to reduce emissions by 20-50% across pollutants and will also regulate non-exhaust sources such as brake wear and tyre abrasion, with market surveillance through independent in-use compliance checks.
• Euro 7 implementation in Europe is phased, starting November 2026 for light-duty vehicles and May 2028 for heavy-duty vehicles, with full rollout extending up to 2035.