It isn’t every single day you get pushed round by a Formulation One racer. On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Narain Karthikeyan, 47, was behind the wheel of his glossy black SUV, taking us on a private tour of the Coimbatore Auto Sports activities and Transport Belief (CoASTT) circuit, which he helped create. Now, as an entrepreneur, good casuals have changed his racing gear. As an alternative of strategising along with his crew over the radio, he was discussing enterprise with numerous stakeholders whereas driving (PSA: Don’t use the telephone whereas driving! Narain can get away with it as a result of, properly, he’s Narain and was driving on a traffic-free tarmac). As we cruised across the quiet, 3.8km bidirectional circuit, Narain shared insights into his newest enterprise, DriveX, a three-year-old startup targeted on shopping for and promoting pre-owned two-wheelers, appeared again at his racing days, and appeared ahead to a wonderful future for Indian motorsports.
Narain’s lengthy and illustrious racing profession prolonged past Formulation One, the place he turned the first-ever driver from India. Till 2019, he loved a profitable stint within the Tremendous GT sequence in Japan, representing the Honda-affiliated Nakajima Racing crew and competing with famend racers together with Jenson Button. “I had a great season, competing in races with giant grids and crowds. Tremendous GT automobiles are extremely quick, near the velocity of single-seaters you see in F1. I even had a first-place end in one of many races,” he remembers.
Then, COVID-19 put the brakes on his racing — and just about every thing.
Although Nakajima Racing supplied a contract extension when Tremendous GT resumed, Narain, now in his 40s, realised he needed to make manner for youthful, gifted racers. Like his fellow Indian F1 driver Karun Chandhok, he tried punditry. It didn’t swimsuit him. He needed one thing extra hands-on.
Narain Karthikeyan
| Photograph Credit score:
Praveen Sudevan
“Throughout the pandemic, I seen the struggles of people that needed to commute to work with out secure but reasonably priced transportation. Entry-level scooters had been too costly, costing a few lakh. Impressed by my information of the automotive trade and expertise in refurbishment, I considered providing a subscription and leasing service for used two-wheelers,” says Narain.
Thus, DriveX was born. Leveraging Narain’s sturdy model worth and the optimistic response from early prospects, it rapidly gained traction and secured the backing of TVS Motor Co. As we speak, it has developed right into a platform for buying pre-owned two-wheelers. In accordance with Narain, with a buyer base of 1.50 lakh, the corporate retails 2,100 automobiles monthly and companies 12,000 automobiles. It reported income of ₹35 crore in FY24 (in comparison with ₹7 crore within the earlier 12 months). The fast-growing firm, headquartered in Bengaluru, has 57 shops throughout India.
Velocity and technique
Narain’s entrepreneurial shift is no surprise, given his lineage. Hailing from the famend PSG enterprise home in Coimbatore, enterprise was ingrained in his DNA. “My connection to cars made it pure for me to pursue a enterprise within the automotive trade. Additionally, my ardour for velocity and racing began with two-wheelers. Once I visited my aunt in America, she gifted me a Z50 Honda. That’s what received me into racing. So, DriveX appeared like an ideal match.”
The transition from the racetrack to the boardroom was seamless, because of the parallels Narain drew between the 2 worlds. “Enterprise planning, like racing, is all about practicality. When your automotive isn’t performing, you analyse why and work along with your crew to optimise its efficiency. This strategy is similar to problem-solving and teamwork in enterprise.”
Operating a enterprise like DriveX comes with its personal challenges, however Narain stays targeted and decided. “Endurance is vital, simply as it’s in racing. Sustaining a stability between aggression and warning is crucial for achievement.”
Narain Karthikeyan
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association
“Probably the most rewarding side has been turning into the biggest tech-enabled platform for pre-owned two-wheelers. As athletes, now we have an innate drive to succeed and carry out on the highest degree. This identical motivation additionally drives me to try for the highest spot right here.”
Wanting forward
Formulation One has developed dramatically since Narain’s racing days. As an example, the common age of Formulation One TV viewers has dropped considerably from 44 to 32, making the game extra interesting to industrial manufacturers and broadcasters. It’s a reflection of F1’s digital-first strategy and initiatives such because the Netflix documentary Drive To Survive.
This surge in recognition has additionally had a optimistic impression in India, as evidenced by the latest Chennai evening avenue race for the Indian Racing Pageant. “It was a implausible occasion. It has proven that India can host world-class sporting occasions. We must always make it an everyday fixture, much like the Macau Grand Prix,” says Narain, including that such occasions are essential for selling motorsport within the nation and attracting worldwide consideration.
“The CoASTT observe in Coimbatore additionally has the potential to be upgraded to a quicker configuration. This might permit us to draw extra nationwide and worldwide occasions,” he says, “In India, two-wheeler racing has seen a surge in recognition, with groups like TVS Racing, Honda, and KTM providing alternatives for aspiring riders. Our two-wheeler racing infrastructure is extra superior than our Formulation One infrastructure.”
Whereas the present period is perhaps extra thrilling for motorsport athletes in India, Narain doesn’t remorse racing in his time. “I raced throughout a implausible period with drivers akin to Michael Schumacher and V10 engines that roared to 18,000 RPM. Whereas immediately’s automobiles are completely different, there’s one thing particular in regards to the basic period of F1.”
“Many sports activities, together with F1, have gotten extra entertainment-focused,” he provides, “Sustaining the core sporting component is crucial. Fierce competitors ought to at all times be the precedence.”
In lots of interviews, he’s requested, “Why did you grow to be a racer?” Narain hails from a household that produced two of India’s racing stalwarts — His father, GR Karthikeyan, was a seven-time Indian Nationwide Rally champion. Sundaram Karivardhan, certainly one of India’s racing pioneers, was a relative. So, earlier than we get off his automotive, we ask him a extra acceptable query: “Would you have got grow to be something aside from a racer?”
He pauses for a bit, smiles, earlier than replying: “I’ve at all times beloved velocity. Rising up, I dreamed of turning into a fighter pilot or one thing. Then, it modified to racing. Regardless of the household help, to be India’s first Formulation One driver was a monumental problem. There have been no services, cutting-edge tracks, or infrastructure to help such a dream. It was like making an attempt to grow to be a world-class downhill skier within the Sahara Desert. However regardless of the immense hurdles, I might do it another time.”
Printed – September 20, 2024 06:35 pm IST
