Govt to Enforce Production Facility Audits for E-Rickshaw Firms

• Audits of production facilities mandated for all e‑rickshaw makers by April 2026.
• Safety star ratings and design limits to enforce quality standards and speed caps.
• Targets unregistered, low‑quality vehicles to protect domestic industry and users.

From April 2026, Indian government will require every manufacturer of an e-rickshaw and e-cart to audit their manufacturing facilities to ensure quality compliance and safety compliance. This is a new requirement that will help increase oversight in the growing electric three wheeler market and improve manufacturing quality.

Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has also proposed a safety star rating system for e rickshaws that is similar to Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP) to ensure structural integrity and limit maximum speeds to 25 km/h. This will also increase the production standards and encourage safer vehicle designs.

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Industry stakeholders through associations such as EVMS have voiced concerns about tens of thousands of unqualified and dangerous e rickshaws which use lead acid batteries and homemade parts that pose a safety risk, and create harmful consequences to local manufacturing. The audit requirement is meant to address these issues and protect consumers. 

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has initiated these types of changes as part of a full agenda of road safety and upgrades to vehicle quality, to improve standards, improve consistency in certification, and diminish risks associated with last-mile mobility.