It’s not every single day you get pushed round by a Method One racer. On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Narain Karthikeyan, 47, was behind the wheel of his modern 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, sensible casuals have changed his racing gear. As an alternative of strategising together with his workforce over the radio, he was discussing enterprise with numerous stakeholders whereas driving (PSA: Don’t use the cellphone whereas driving! Narain can get away with it as a result of, nicely, 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 an excellent future for Indian motorsports.
Narain’s lengthy and illustrious racing profession prolonged past Method 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 workforce and competing with famend racers together with Jenson Button. “I had season, competing in races with giant grids and crowds. Tremendous GT vehicles 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 the whole lot.
Although Nakajima Racing supplied a contract extension when Tremendous GT resumed, Narain, now in his 40s, realised he needed to make method 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
“Through the pandemic, I observed 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 couple of lakh. Impressed by my data of the automotive trade and expertise in refurbishment, I thought of 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 shortly gained traction and secured the backing of TVS Motor Co. At the moment, 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 autos per 30 days and companies 12,000 autos. 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 stores throughout India.
Pace and technique
Narain’s entrepreneurial shift isn’t a 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 obtained me into racing. So, DriveX appeared like an ideal match.”
The transition from the racetrack to the boardroom was seamless, due to the parallels Narain drew between the 2 worlds. “Enterprise planning, like racing, is all about practicality. When your automobile isn’t performing, you analyse why and work together with your workforce to optimise its efficiency. This method is similar to problem-solving and teamwork in enterprise.”
Working a enterprise like DriveX comes with its personal challenges, however Narain stays targeted and decided. “Endurance is essential, simply as it’s in racing. Sustaining a steadiness between aggression and warning is important for achievement.”
Narain Karthikeyan
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association
“Essentially the most rewarding side has been turning into the most important tech-enabled platform for pre-owned two-wheelers. As athletes, we have now an innate drive to succeed and carry out on the highest degree. This identical motivation additionally drives me to attempt for the highest spot right here.”
Trying forward
Method One has developed dramatically since Narain’s racing days. For example, the typical age of Method 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 method and tasks 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 night time road race for the Indian Racing Competition. “It was a implausible occasion. It has proven that India can host world-class sporting occasions. We should always make it a daily 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 sooner configuration. This is able to 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 Method One infrastructure.”
Whereas the present period may be 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 in the present day’s vehicles are completely different, there’s one thing particular in regards to the traditional period of F1.”
“Many sports activities, together with F1, have gotten extra entertainment-focused,” he provides, “Sustaining the core sporting component is important. Fierce competitors ought to all the time be the precedence.”
In lots of interviews, he’s requested, “Why did you change into 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, one among India’s racing pioneers, was a relative. So, earlier than we get off his automobile, we ask him a extra applicable query: “Would you will have change into something aside from a racer?”
He pauses for a bit, smiles, earlier than replying: “I’ve all the time 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 Method One driver was a monumental problem. There have been no amenities, cutting-edge tracks, or infrastructure to help such a dream. It was like attempting to change into a world-class downhill skier within the Sahara Desert. However regardless of the immense hurdles, I might do it yet again.”
Revealed – September 20, 2024 06:35 pm IST
