Mumbai, India, Mar 06: Reinforcing its role as a responsible mobility leader, Kia India, one of the country’s leading mass premium carmakers, announced the launch of Phase II of its flagship road safety initiative, ‘Buckle Up’, in partnership with The Social Lab Foundation (TSL), under the aegis of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Marking the next phase, Kia India and TSL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the initiative’s reach and impact. Phase II was inaugurated by Shri Ajay Tamta, Hon’ble Minister of State, MoRTH, at Transport Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of senior government officials and Kia India leadership.
During Phase I of the Buckle–Up project (February 2024 – February 2026), Kia India partnered with the Gurugram Traffic Police to address road safety through a dual focus on Infrastructure and behavioural awareness. The programme facilitated the installation of 750 crash barriers across identified high-risk stretches in Gurugram, strengthening on-ground preventive infrastructure. Complementing these efforts, Kia India conducted structured road safety education programmes across 100 schools, reaching nearly 32,000 students and fostering early awareness among young road users.
By integrating tangible infrastructure upgrades with youth-focused engagement and working in close coordination with local authorities, Phase I established a scalable and outcome-driven model for community-led road safety. This structured foundation now evolves into Phase II, reinforcing Kia India’s long-term commitment to building safer mobility ecosystems through measurable and sustainable interventions.
Building on this strong foundation, Phase II (April 2026 – March 2028) significantly expands the initiative’s scale and geographic footprint. The programme will extend across Delhi–NCR and Uttarakhand, engaging nearly 20,000 students across 100 colleges through advanced driving simulators and structured experiential learning modules. These are designed to help young road users understand real-world risks and adopt safer driving behaviours. The initiative will also strengthen road safety infrastructure through the installation of additional crash barriers in high-risk zones, including Gurgaon and along the Delhi–Uttarakhand highway. These efforts will be supported by integrated awareness campaigns across different platforms of online and on-ground engagement programmes, further advancing Kia India’s long-term vision of building safer mobility ecosystems across communities.
During the MoU signing, Shri Ajay Tamta, Hon’ble Minister of State, MoRTH, commended Kia India’s structured approach to strengthening road safety through infrastructure and awareness interventions. He emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration between industry and government to reduce road fatalities and advance national road safety awareness efforts.
On the progression of the initiative, Mr. Sood, said, “At Kia India, safety is a fundamental pillar of our mobility vision, extending beyond our vehicles to the communities we serve. ‘Buckle Up’ reflects our long-term commitment to creating safer mobility ecosystems through infrastructure enhancement and sustained behavioural change initiatives. With Phase II, we are scaling our efforts to reach young and first-time drivers while strengthening on-ground safety interventions. Through this initiative, we are proud to support the Government of India’s vision of safer roads and contribute meaningfully towards building a stronger culture of road safety across communities.”
Commenting on the occasion, Apoorva Sharma, Executive Director of TSL Foundation said, “Our collaboration with Kia India in Phase I laid a strong operational foundation through targeted infrastructure and school-level engagement. With Phase II, we are building on these learnings to scale the programme across new geographies and age groups, further strengthening its impact through structured, experiential road safety interventions.”
Through the ‘Buckle Up’ initiative, Kia India continues to advance a structured and scalable model for community-led road safety, aligned with national priorities and built on measurable impact. As the programme evolves into its next phase, the company reaffirms its commitment to working alongside government bodies, local authorities, and community stakeholders to foster safer road behaviours and strengthen mobility ecosystems across India.