The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on August 03, 2026, has issued a draft notification proposing amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to enable phased implementation of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication systems in motor vehicles. The 5.875 GHz to 5.925 GHz frequency band has been earmarked for V2V and other Intelligent Transportation System applications, with the Department of Telecommunications, vide G.S.R. 466(E) dated June 10, 2026, exempting this band from licensing requirements. V2V communication allows nearby vehicles to exchange real-time data such as speed, position, direction, and acceleration, enabling advance warnings in safety-critical scenarios like sudden braking, forward-collision risk, unsafe lane changes, and approaching emergency vehicles; unlike conventional sensor-dependent safety systems, it can provide information beyond direct line of sight, complementing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and supporting proactive accident prevention.
Under the proposed timeline, vehicles of categories L, M, and N manufactured on or after October 1, 2027, that are fitted with V2V communication systems must comply with AIS-230, while vehicles of these categories manufactured on or after October 1, 2028, will be mandatorily required to be fitted with AIS-230-compliant V2V systems. This phased approach is intended to give manufacturers and stakeholders adequate lead time to prepare for the new requirements.
AIS-230 lays down minimum technical, functional, performance, environmental, and security requirements for factory-installed On-Board Units using Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technology in the 5.875–5.925 GHz band. Its principal requirements span radio performance and frequency stability, receiver sensitivity, GNSS/positioning requirements, electrical and power-supply specifications, electromagnetic interference and compatibility, cybersecurity and communication-security provisions, and performance requirements for road-safety applications. The standard further provides for phased introduction of safety use cases including Emergency Brake Alert, Forward Collision Warning, Wrong-way Driving alerts, and Emergency Vehicle Alert.
The framework builds on the recommendations of a Ministry-constituted Task Force on Intelligent Transportation Systems, which had recommended use of the 5.9 GHz ITS/V2X range for road safety, and was further considered by the Central Motor Vehicles Rules–Technical Standing Committee at its 56th meeting held on May 7, 2026. The proposed rules are expected to improve vehicle situational awareness, enable timely safety warnings, and strengthen the use of connected technologies to reduce road-accident risks in India.
[Release ID: 2293692]
