The 25-year-old engineer began her bike riding journey with a desire to ride at the age of 14, which she expressed to her uncle who advised her to put the pedal to the metal, quite literally. Thus began the 14-year-old’s first bike venture. She debuted on a Hero Passion and later got her first Activa at the age of 18. Since then, there was no looking back for Das. Her love for motorcycles further transcended into her academics, making Das take up Mechanical Engineering at a degree level.
In 2016, Das enrolled herself into the Ambey Valley Drag Race-India Speed Week after being motivated by her friends and family while being completely oblivious to the car racing scenario in India. However, the following year, she participated in both car and bike categories and came home with the title of ‘Fastest Female on Bike’. Although the biker began her racing career with cars, she prefers racing on bikes as she believes that track car races are way more expensive to be a part of.
During the drag race event, she was noticed by several senior riders who then helped her participate in the selection round for India’s first female bike racing team powered by TVS Racing. Among the 60 participants who were pitted against each other to make it to the first-ever team, 15 racers were selected, which also included Das. She praises TVS for taking up the initiative to promote racing for women and believes that it has certainly increased the number of women entering the industry.
“The initiative taken up by TVS has helped motivate women to get more involved in motorsports. I remember, in 2016, when I took part in drag races, there were around 400-450 boys and just four or five girls in the entire competition. After the TVS racing team was set up, the number of girls participating doubled. As years passed by, the number went on increasing. I believe the more racers the people see, the more awareness it will create,” she said.
Similarly, Das also got into racing after being inspired by Alisha Abdullah, India’s first female national racing champion. She recollects being trained by Abdullah in the TVS team as one of her luckiest days.
Further down the road, Das felt the need to move forward. She clearly believes in the phrase, the bigger the better. So she waited till she turned 21 to officially start her bus driving training. However, she was up for a bumpy ride. Most training centres mocked and questioned her ability to handle a heavy vehicle, being a woman. This further fuelled her drive to get trained. Expecting the worst, she reluctantly applied for the BEST training course as her last resort. However, the team was more than happy to train her and she received her licence soon after. On completing the training period, the 24-year-old was informed of the feat she had achieved – the triumph of becoming the first female to complete the training under BEST.
Another major laurel that came her way was the Great Asian Odyssey, a 15,000 km road trip with fellow bikers, covering the vast Southeast-Asian region of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka, where she proudly represented India at key places.
On being asked about difficulties a woman might face on roads, Das said, “None.” She says most people are more than happy to help a female rider. She recalls how women in rural areas come to strike up a conversation and get genuinely fascinated to see a female bike rider. In terms of personal needs too, she believes that most roads are fairly equipped.
Talking about family support, Das affirms that her mother’s complete support is what has helped her move forward. Despite receiving flak from other members of the family or even outsiders, her mother has stood by her like a rock. She says that even though many people have brought up the ‘girl factor’ to stop her from going on long trips, her mother always nodded ‘yes’ to her crazy adventures. However, Das also makes sure to be responsible while on trips by regularly informing her mother of her whereabouts.
Das has recently ventured into YouTube video creation space with her first introduction video already up for viewing. She aims to make content in her native language Telugu as a way to connect to the people back home, as most people mistake her to be a Mumbaikar. Apart from this, she also plans to feature her riding and travel videos and also use it as a platform to motivate more people into motorsports. She credits YouTuber Tagore Cherry, aka Cherry Vlogs, for persuading her into starting her own YouTube channel.
Commenting on her future goals, she says her next target is to ride to the Mount Everest base camp, which will be a challenge she would like to embark on. Additionally, she would also like to try her hand again at car racing. She also mentions the BMW S 1000 RR to be her dream bike. (MT)
- Bridgestone India
- Guinness World Records
- Stefano Sanchini
- Swapnil Dangarikar
India’s Electric Two-Wheeler Thrust
- by Aditya Gowda
- August 14, 2021
July 2021 was a month of much activity and announcements in the Indian electric two-wheeler industry. Much of it had to do with the announcement of Phase II of FAME II scheme by the Central Government, which seemed to favour the early adoption of electric two- and three-wheelers. Many states followed suit with a new or revised electric vehicle (EV) policy. Of the opinion that the new FAME II scheme will disrupt the two-wheeler market in India, Tarun Mehta, CEO and Co-founder, Ather Energy, said, “They could clock sales of over six million units by 2025.”
The increase in maximum subsidy limit from 20 to 40 percent in the case of initial acquisition cost has enabled electric two-wheeler OEMs to reduce the sticker price of their products a good deal. The arrangement is such that the government will reimburse the OEM the subsidy amount after it has sold the vehicle to its customer, the actual beneficiary. “Lowering the prices of electric scooters will help to persuade more riders to switch to an electric one,” said Jeetender Sharma, MD and Founder, Okinawa Autotech. Sohinder Gill, Director General, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV), informed, “The Gujarat State Government’s subsidy of INR 20,000 for electric two-wheelers that cost up to INR 150,000 has a potential to make it an EV hub,” Referring to the Maharashtra EV policy, which provides a subsidy of INR 10,000 on an electric two-wheeler, Nagesh Basavanhalli, MD and CEO, Ampere Vehicles, remarked, “The policy will not only boost electric vehicle growth, it will also provide employment.”
Helping electric two- and three-wheeler proliferate, the Phase II of FAME II and the EV policies of various states, it is clear, are looking at attracting investments and employment opportunities. These policies are also looking at creating a self-sufficient (Atmanirbhar Bharat) ecosystem of fundamental manufacture – that of chips, battery cells, motors and controllers. India has the software but needs the hardware, mentioned a source. He pointed at Ola’s high voltage campaign for its e-scooter, and said that the real slog will start only after the plant is up and running. It will begin when the e-scooter hits the road and starts competing against numerous others. Stressing on the presence of equally capable global, regional and local players, he explained, it is as necessary to understand the psyche of the market as much as it is to have the technology and the money to invest. Carrying with them the image of being premium and technologically superior, the Ather e-scooters have been attracting attention for some time.
Its dealer from Maharashtra mentioned that awareness for electric two-wheelers is growing and the number of footfalls after the fuel price hike. Range anxiety, however, remains to be a challenge, he said. Across segments – Ather e-scooters are said to be premium offerings compared to others with a price premium of roughly INR 30,000 to INR 40,000. Range anxiety is a factor that is proving challenging to many. Especially along with the higher initial acquisition cost. The innovative technological achievements like a detachable battery pack that could be taken out for charging at home or in the office are helping to an extent. They are also highlighting the efforts of the electric two-wheeler OEMs to understand the dynamic regulatory and market requirements.
Investments in technology involving materials and sciences are yielding better products no doubt. With the emergence of demand for commercial-use electric three-wheelers, companies like Komaki are quick to respond. Its XGT CAT 2.0 e-bike with a 350 kg payload is designed to address the needs of e-commerce logistics companies like Delhivery and Ekart, and aggregator platforms like Swiggy and Zomato. Looking at maximum uptime and reliability in the last-mile space, commercial electric three-wheeler users, tasked with attacking as many pin codes and as many customers as they could in a strict time stipulation, are keen to control costs as well as reduce their carbon footprint. Leveraging IoT and AI to analyse data, they are choosing between Lithium-ion powered and lead-acid battery-powered electric two-wheelers. (MT)
Comments (0)
Add Comment- Pavna Industries
- Swapnil Jain
- Bajaj Auto
- Ola Electric
- Ashok Leyland
Suzuki Hayabusa Teased Ahead Of Premier On February 5th
- by Mt Bureau
- January 29, 2021
Japanese bike-maker, Suzuki, is set to showcase their iconic flagship motorcycle on February 5th. The Hayabusa, first launched in 1999, gained a massive cult following from eager fans all over the world. Once termed the world’s fastest production motorcycle, this superbike will soon be back in action.
The teaser, which runs 25 seconds long, shows glimpses of the 4-cylinder sports bike, on a bowl track, doing around 180 mph at 10,000 RPM, 1,000 RPM still left for its redline.
The Hayabusa still retains the analogue instrument cluster, an uncommon sight in today’s premium motorcycle market. The engine will meet the latest European (and consequently Indian) emissions regulations.
The world-wide unveil next week is expected to shed more light on the details of the motorcycle.
Comments (0)
Add Comment
JK Tyre is all set to host the 24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship (JKNRC) 2021 at the Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore on 23-24 Oct 2021. The event will also witness the debut of the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup.
Royal Enfield has announced its debut into track racing with its flagship racing motorcycle – the Continental GT 650. Typically involving faired/sports motorcycles, the Continental GT Cup is India’s first retro motorcycle racing format. It is aimed at making track racing accessible for new entrants as well as experienced racers.
With over 300 aspirants applying for the race, 100 racers were shortlisted and invited to Coimbatore for the selection on Monday, 18 October. Making up the final racing roster are 18 riders who qualified for the races on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, two media wild cards were also shortlisted for the race.
Riders from across the country took part in the qualifiers with Anfal Akdhar, a rider from Thirssur, topping the chart at 1:23.126 minutes, Anish Damodara Shetty, a well-known rider, also provided strong competition. Lani Zena Fernandez, a young lady from Puducherry, took the track by storm with her confidence on the track. Raivat Dhar, a young racer from Jammu, also made it to the final grid. With the majority of the racers being from Southern India, Raivat will represent the northernmost state of the country at the race on Sunday. (MT)
Comments (0)
Add Comment- Ultraviolette Automotive
- Vinayak Bhat
- Boeing
- Airbus
- Niraj Rajmohan
- Narayan Subramanian
- TVS Motor Company
Ultraviolette Automotive Elevates Vinayak Bhat As Chief Product Officer
- by MT Bureau
- August 20, 2024
TVS Motor Company-backed Ultraviolette Automotive, a premium electric motorcycle company, has promoted Vinayak Bhat to the position of Chief Product Officer.
In his new role, Bhat will be tasked to expand Ultraviolette’s product portfolio through the entire lifecycle from inception and design to development and market introduction. He will lead Ultraviolette's endeavours in broadening its product range and catalysing innovation in the high-performance EV space.
Vinayak Bhat said, "I've witnessed Ultraviolette's unwavering pursuit of innovation. My goal is to craft exceptional products for global markets through our strategy of vertical integration - specifically across critical elements like the battery technology, drivetrain and vehicle architecture. Our aim: redefine standards and solidify Ultraviolette’s position as a global leader in electric mobility."
Before assuming the role of CPO, Bhat served as the Technical Director and Principal Engineer at Ultraviolette. Since joining the company in 2017, he has played a pivotal role in the development of the F77 Mach 2 and F99 Racing Platform and overseeing coordination across all aspects of product development, engineering, operations, and manufacturing functions.
Narayan Subramaniam, CEO & Co-Founder, Ultraviolette Automotive said, "Vinayak's in-depth understanding of aerospace and electric vehicle technologies provides him with a unique perspective that will be critical in driving our culture of innovation. His leadership was instrumental in the successful launch of our flagship products - the F77 and the F77 Mach 2. I am confident that with Vinayak’s appointment as CPO, we will achieve newer heights in innovation and market penetration."
Bhat started his professional journey in 2013 at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a structural engineer. Further transitioning to Safran Engineering as a design analyst, he is said to have contributed significantly towards key projects for Airbus and Boeing, with a focus on landing gears, nacelles, and fuselage components.
Niraj Rajmohan, CTO & Co-Founder, Ultraviolette Automotive said, "Vinayak has been instrumental in driving our product development initiatives. His exceptional technical prowess and exemplary leadership have been pivotal in realising our vision. As CPO, his visionary leadership will play a crucial role in our quest for global leadership in electric mobility. We eagerly anticipate the strategic direction he will provide, propelling us forward and opening new avenues for growth and innovation.”
Ultraviolette Automotive plans to introduce new products for multiple mobility segments over the next five years, targeting both domestic and international markets.
Comments (0)
Add Comment