Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, has issued a stern warning to the automobile industry regarding the potential hazards of electronic auto locks, specifically flush door handles. Speaking at the 66th ACMA Annual Session, Goyal emphasized that these modern door mechanisms could become extremely dangerous during floods or other unfortunate events, trapping occupants inside vehicles.
Minister Urges Proactive Safety Measures
Goyal challenged the industry to take suo motu action on safety concerns, rather than waiting for government intervention. "Why do you leave it to the government to worry that if there is a flood or an unfortunate event, that electronic auto locks in the car can actually be very very dangerous," he questioned, urging manufacturers to make safety a core focus area.
He highlighted that the auto sector, represented by organizations like SIAM, should be at the forefront of addressing such challenges. "Make your industry conscious of safety and don’t leave it to the government to come and interfere in your business. I think that suo motto action is what I want to appeal to you to focus on," Goyal stated.
China's Precedent and Market Adoption
The minister's comments come after China implemented a ban on hidden car door handles earlier in 2026. This move followed a series of deadly incidents where individuals were trapped inside their vehicles due to the design. Automakers selling cars in China are now mandated to include mechanical releases on both the inside and outside of car doors.
Flush door handles, favored for their sleek aesthetic, sit seamlessly with a car's body, often retracting to become nearly invisible. Several prominent manufacturers offer vehicles with these designs in India, including:
- Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles: Tata Sierra, Curvv, and its British subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover models.
- Kia: Seltos and Syros.
- Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M): XUV700, XUV7XO, Mahindra XEV 9e, Mahindra BE 6, and Mahindra XEV 9S.
Beyond Locks: Cameras and Scrappage Policy
Beyond the issue of electronic locks, Goyal also touched upon other aspects of vehicle safety and industry policy. He suggested that integrating more cameras could significantly enhance vehicle safety, citing their utility even in a country like India where autonomous driving might not be immediately practical due to the availability of chauffeurs.
The Union Minister also sought the industry's support for the government's vehicle scrappage policy. He emphasized the need to make scrapping old vehicles a profitable and valuable proposition for new vehicle buyers, calling it a shared effort between the government and the private sector. "I think the industry needs to come forward and give a fair value when you scrap a vehicle," he concluded.