Six airbags will be mandatory in eight-seater cars from October 1, 2023, Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Thursday.

In January, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued a draft notification to make it mandatory for all eight-seater vehicles, manufactured after October 1 this year, to be fitted with six airbags.

On September 6, the Union road transport and highways minister had also said the government was planning to make six airbags compulsory .

Gadkari’s statement had come two days after former Tata Sons chairperson Cyrus Mistry and his co-passenger Jehangir Pandole died in an accident after their car rammed into a road divider in Maharashtra’s Palghar district.

A police investigation showed that Mistry and Pandole, who were in the back seat of the Mercedes, were not wearing seat belts.

On Thursday, in a series of tweets, Gadkari said the government could not make the proposal mandatory from this year due to “global supply chain constraints being faced by the auto industry and its impact on the macroeconomic scenario”.

“Safety of all passengers travelling in motor vehicles irrespective of their cost and variants is the foremost priority,” he added.