Growing Consciousness Towards Road Safety, A Big Boost For Indian Helmet Industry

India being the world’s biggest two-wheeler market is also the biggest market for scooter and motorcycle helmets. There are 20 Million two-wheelers sold annually and more than 250 Million two-wheeler plying on Indian roads. Therefore, India helmet market is world’s biggest.

On an average there are 500,000 road accidents on Indian road deaths per annum and more than 30% involve two-wheeler riders, therefore there has been growing emphasis on helmet legislation by many state governments in India. Safety is indeed a matter of great importance, especially when it comes to riding a two-wheeler. With the growing traffic mismanagement, crowded streets and bad roads, it is imperative to keep oneself protected from dangers lurking around us all the time.

The biggest challenge was banning manufacturing, selling & buying of cheap & fake ISI Helmets. Now the time is extremely favorable as the industry has a lot of support from the government. The policymakers are doing their best to ensure the road safety of the citizens.

The ban of Non-ISI Helmets is surely a big step forward towards road safety as certified helmets are proven to reduce the risk of death by 42 percent and severe injury by 69% in the event of a crash.

We are determined to make the Indian roads safer for riders and we will keep pushing the standards of quality so that we always live up to our motto of being the best in saving lives. Also the growing consciousness towards road safety will add to the strict enforcement by authorities of the amendments in the motor vehicle act.

It is imperative that strict enforcement of the laws is done by the authorities so that results are achieved on the ground and the rules just not are something that is on the papers only.

I would also like to throw some light on the activities in which the Government is Indulge. The Government is spending incredible amount on road safety, giving priority to the infrastructure like Highways, Subways and Bridges. Many steps have been taken for the safety of the pedestrians, like putting up Zebra Crossings, Streetlights and footpaths, and also making efforts to make people aware about it.

So, we request the Government to make ISI mark helmet mandatory Pan India leading so that millions of lives are saved. Also keeping in mind, requesting the government to reduce GST from 18% to 5% as right now the helmets comes under a luxury product, although the helmet is a safety product, resulting in a decrease in the cost of ISI certified helmets. Lots of lives and money will be saved due to this.

It would be safe to say that the future of the helmet industry in India looks bright. The segment has witnessed rapid evolution and has picked-up pace with the Indian government acting as a key catalyst. Although there still are a lot of safeguards to make in order to sustain the momentum, we are riding on the right track.

The helmet industry has dramatically evolved over the past decade in India and continues to undergo rapid transformation. Over these years, the government and private sector have collaborated to bring about a drastic mind shift among the customers towards road safety, thereby, leading to increased adoption of helmets across urban and rural segments. In fact, the helmet industry is growing at a faster pace than the motorcycle segment in India today and the continuous cycle of replacement of existing helmets after every 4-5 years has added to this momentum.

To conclude, our country has made progress in significant areas pertaining road safety but we still have a long way to go. The increasing number of road tragedies in the country is a constant reminder of the magnitude of this problem. But at the same time we already know what kind of solutions are needed to overcome this. Also the people need to understand that policies are effective when they are adhered.