Narain Karthikeyan
Formula One reminds us of him, turbo-charged or not.
The original, national hero in international motorsport – Narain Karthikeyan is the first Formula One motor racing driver from the country. He made India proud with his Formula One debut in 2005 on board the Jordan team, and was a Williams F1 test driver in 2006 and 2007. In 2011 he returned to F1 with HRT (Hispania racing Team), and continued with the team till 2012, before HRT crumbled apart. In between, he was battling it out with a Toyota Tundra in the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. But before that, he was also the first and only Indian to participate in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race. On 11 May 2009, Karthikeyan finished sixth in his first ever Le Mans series race while driving for the Kolles Audi team in the second round of the 2009 championship held at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.
C.S. Santosh
Think you had balls? Think again – this guy participated in, and completed the Dakar Rally
The Dakar rally is not for the faint-hearted. Traversing through treacherous terrain, taxing weather, and countries raging with civil war, the Dakar Rally has been unanimously hailed as the pinnacle of endurance racing. So in a proud moment for Indian motor sport, 31-year old C S Santosh from Coimbatore became the first Indian to participate in and finish the grueling event. Piloting his Red Bull sponsored KTM 450 rally bike, Santosh finished at a commendable 436 position out of 550 in the 2015 chapter of the Dakar Rally, which saw motorcyclists, quad bikers, and truckers traverse 9000 Kms of challenging South American terrain, which included Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.
Vijay Mallya
Indian, chiller, billionaire, possesses taste and owns an F1 team – how cool is that?
Apart from the swashbuckling billionaire’s interests in beverage alcohol, aviation infrastructure, real estate and fertilizer sectors, Vijay Mallya also co-owns the Formula One team Sahara Force India, making him the first Indian to own an F1 team. Mallya headed a consortium to buy out the Spyker F1 team way back in 2007 with Dutch tycoon Michiel Mol for €88 million (810 Crore INR), although he has been financially involved in the sport since his Kingfisher brand sponsored the Benetton team in the 1990s. Apart from that, he is also known for his fine taste in automobiles.
Dilip Chhabria
We know what you’re thinking, but this guy has evolved positively, and was definitely THE trendsetter in his realm.
Indian automotive design is synonymous with one name – Dilip Chhabria. He founded DC Design back in 1993 when car designing was still in its nascent state in the country, and reaped the benefits. Dilip shot to international fame when he built the first prototype for the Aston Martin V8 Vantage at his facilities in Mumbai, to be displayed at the 2003 Detroit International Motor Show. Today, DCD has produced more than 600 uniquely designed cars; from supercars and body-kits to a complete re-haul of the humble Ambassador (Ambierod). DCD has also provided design and prototyping services to the likes of Renault and GM.
DCD, apart from having a manufacturing facility in Talegaon, Pune, also designs and refurbishes aircraft interiors. However, his entry to this list is quite controversial, much like his vehicles’ exterior styling, some of which is generally acclaimed to be in slightly poor taste, but he makes up for it with well-appointed interior designs. India’s first indigenously designed sports car – the DC Avanti, expected in the Indian market this month and is a brainchild of this very man.
Gautam Singhania
A fast car loving billionaire, racer and a big influence on the nouveau enthusiasts – Gautam is one of the faces of contemporary Indian car culture.
Gautam Singhania is the Chairman & Managing Director of the Raymond Group, the world’s largest producer of worsted suiting fabric. But what gets him admittance to this list is his unabashed love for super-cars and racing. As a president of the Super Car Club of India, Gautam organizes the annual supercar rally in Mumbai, which sees an assortment of the best supercars from the country, catering to the rapidly rising supercar enthusiast culture in India. Gautam also has a win under his belt in the amateur category of the Allstars European Drifting Championship in Malta last year, apart from possessing a Ferrari 458 Challenge, which buys him exclusive track days with Ferrari. He was also responsible for getting the LaFerrari hyper car to India for the first time in India, purely for showcasing purposes. Apart from that, Singhania’s private garage is home to some of the most exotic cars in the country, including a twin-turbocharged Lamborghini Gallardo that is rated at upwards of 1200 horsepower.
So where is all this headed? With an average annual production of 17.5 Million vehicles, of which 2.3 Million are exported, it is estimated that the Indian automobile market will become the 3rd largest in the world and will account for more than 5% of global vehicle sales.
If you think the list is incomplete, and there might be a lot of unsung heroes lurking underneath, feel free to share. We’d love to hear from you.