An inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has decided that India should leapfrog from Bharat Stage IV (BS IV) norms that will apply across the country by April 2017 to BS VI norms in April 2020, skipping the intermediate BS V.

The proposed shift is expected to significantly curb emissions of particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen emitted by petrol cars, diesel cars and heavy duty vehicles. (See Chart)

“The government has decided to leapfrog from BS IV to BS VI by April 1, 2020, we have decided to skip BS V norms. It is a bold decision by the government and a commitment to the environment,” Gadkari told PTI after the meeting that was also attended by oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan and environment minister Prakash Javadekar.

Environmental activists say sections of the automobile industry have been opposing early enforcement of the BS VI norms, as these would require additional investments by manufacturers to reduce emissions from their vehicles’ tailpipes.

“We’re very happy with this proposal to jump to BS VI,” said AnumitaRoychowdhury, the deputy director-general and the head of the clean air campaign with the Delhi-based non-government Centre for Science and Environment.

“We think a one-time shift to BS VI-norms would be more cost-effective than the incremental step of bringing in BS V first and then moving to BS VI.”

The government estimates that Indian oil refiners would need to make investments of about Rs 30,000 crore to supply BS VI-compliant automobile fuels.

“I appeal to automobile manufacturers to cooperate in this in the larger interest of the country,” Gadkari said.

However, analysts said oil refineries would need to invest around Rs 80,000 crore in upgrading petrol and diesel quality to meet the cleaner fuel specifications by 2020.

At present, BS IV fuels are sold across northern India, and the rest of India uses BS III grade fuels, but BS IV

is expected to be enforced across the country by April 1, 2017.

A government panel had earlier recommended the introduction of BS VI from 2024, with BS V by April 2019.

Europe and the US have already graduated to Euro VI, the equivalent of BS VI.

In today’s meeting, officials said they would be in a position to make BS VI fuel ready by 2020. However, auto industry sources say oil firms had indicated earlier that they would not be able to supply even BS IV fuel across the country by 2017.

Industry data show that even four years after its introduction in 2010, the penetration of BS IV petrol in the domestic market is just 24 per cent and that for BS IV high-speed diesel is 16 per cent.

The CSE had in November last year criticised the government for retaining BS III standards in many parts of the country until April 2017, saying it is unacceptable that improved emissions standards and thereby better health protection is available only in some parts of the country.