The Indian road transport ministry has proposed changes to the conformity of production (CoP) regime for emission compliance covering new and existing vehicle models.

Under the draft proposal, CoP testing for new passenger car and two-wheeler models will be conducted annually for the first three years and once every three years thereafter. For larger passenger vehicles, goods vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles, CoP testing will continue to be conducted annually.

For existing models, the testing frequency will be reduced from once a year to once every three years for two-wheelers, passenger cars, larger passenger vehicles, goods vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles. For two-wheelers, which are produced in higher volumes, the current testing frequency ranges from once every three months to once a year, depending on production volume.

CoP is a regulatory verification process that ensures mass-produced vehicles continue to conform to their original type-approval specifications.

"The proposed policy delinks the CoP testing frequency from the volume of vehicles produced or imported. Manufacturers and importers will need to strengthen their quality control systems and ensure continued compliance with the norms, as any defect or deviation detected after three years could expose them to the risk of recalling a large number of vehicles, particularly two-wheelers," an official said.

Under the CoP regime, testing agencies randomly select vehicles from assembly lines, dealerships or the open market for emission compliance tests, with the entire cost of testing borne by vehicle manufacturers.