Why is Maruti against installing 6 airbags in cars?

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to increase airbags in cars. According to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, it is mandatory to have six airbags in a car with eight passengers. The new rule is to come into effect from October 1, 2022. However, car companies are in a dilemma over this new development. The Covid pandemic has already broken the back of the auto industry. The car industry was already struggling with the shortage of raw materials and chips (or semiconductors), now with this new rule, it will have to make many physical changes in the vehicles and will also have to increase the prices of the cars significantly. The cost of one airbag ranges from five thousand to ten thousand rupees, so installing six airbags will increase the price of a car by at least 30 to  50 thousand rupees or more. This additional burden will be borne by the customers. Car companies will have to make some fundamental changes in their existing models, its cost will be extra.
The graph of the death toll due to road accidents in India is going up year by year and there is no sign of decrease in the numbers. The death toll in road accidents between 2005 and 2019 is above 20 lakh. According to Nitin Gadkari himself, in the year 2020, about 48 thousand people were killed on highways and expressways in different road accidents. Another fact is that in road accidents, two-wheeler riders account for more deaths (37 per cent) than travelling in four-wheelers. This figure is based on a report released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the year 2020. The risk of road accidents for two wheeler riders in India is 20 times higher than that of four wheeler users. Side airbags that protect the head reduce the risk of a car driver’s death in a driver side-crash by 37 per cent and an SUV driver’s risk by 52 per cent, according to a research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. According to the rules regarding airbags currently in effect, the rule of mandatory installation of two airbags is applicable to all cars manufactured after April 2021.
Many automakers have welcomed the new proposal of the ministry, but Maruti Suzuki Chairman RC Bhargava has criticised it saying that policy makers need to think in terms of the consumer, as more airbags will increase the cost of the vehicles. The public will have to suffer, because this will be a burden on them. The inclusion of side torso and curtain airbags will undoubtedly improve the safety ratings of the budget segment cars, but it will undoubtedly increase the purchase cost of the car. Entry-level carmakers like Maruti Suzuki, Nissan, Renault don’t have a single model with optional six airbags, while entry-level models like Hyundai Santro and i10 Grand also have only dual airbags. Proper use of airbags and seat belts can reduce the damage to the human body during an accident. Similarly, using a good helmet can reduce the mortality rate by 42 per cent. Currently, cars offering the option of six airbags cost over Rs 15 lakh.