Draft cyber security rules for category L/M/N vehicles; reference to AIS standards and type approval testing
Draft cyber security rules for category L, M and N vehicles; reference to AIS standards and type approval testing
- Rule 126 requires every manufacturer or importer of a motor vehicle, including an electric vehicle, to submit the prototype to a notified testing agency.
- A Type Approval Certificate is issued after the notified testing agency certifies compliance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
What happened
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published draft cyber security rules for approval of vehicles in categories L, M and N under G.S.R. 503(E) dated 17 June 2026. The draft refers to AIS-189 and AIS-190 as the relevant standards.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries stated that cyber security regulations have not been framed for E-rickshaw and E-kart. The reply also said that battery safety requirements for L-category electric vehicles must meet AIS 156, and electric power train safety must comply with AIS 038 Rev. (2).
UPSC can ask how cyber security standards for connected vehicles fit into statutory approval systems under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and how India regulates electric-vehicle safety through AIS standards and type approval testing.
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