Akhil Reddy, MD Of Racing Promotions Private Limited Vows To Give Europe Competition In Motorsport Ecosystem- EXCLUSIVE

New Delhi: Akhil Reddy, the chairman and MD of Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL) , which also sponsors the Indian Racing League has been leaving no stone unturned in taking Indian Motorsports into the world map. Reddy who has played an instrumental role in the inaugural season of the Indian Racing League (IRL), has been a key asset in the implementation of the entire league. Born and brought up in Hyderabad, he is also an MD at the Hyderabad Motor Racing Private Limited. Reddy’s vision is to maximize and expand motorsports facilities and infrastructure for motor sport in India. He also serves as a director at MEIL, a $10 billion corporate group, where he oversees the infrastructure, defense, irrigation and other verticals of the company.

In an exclusive interaction with India.com, the motorsports lover aims to create an ecosystem in India, that will give tough competition to the ecosystem of Europe and he also wants to make a cultural change, where many Indians will take up the sport as a career that will eventually bring motorsports in the same framework of other popular sports in India.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:-

1) What made you think about Motorsport in India ?

Firstly, I am equally passionate and interested about Motor sports and as you see the Indian market, every sports is rising including the kabaddi and other national sports also. So I just felt that their is one opportunity where I can be with my passion one way or the other.

2) So how can companies like RPPL helps in the growth of motor sports in India ?

So we have various activities through RPPL for the growth of motor sport culture in India. So to give you one example, the India’s street circuit, where we don’t have motor sport culture and people don’t prefer to travel too far to watch, so we thought as a first initiation we will create the awareness and we came up with the idea of street circuit that we bring this sports to the door step. The idea is to give the awareness about the motor sports in general. It is a team effort where both the team and the driver will have to work equally. The culture of the motorsports is not that great. Lot happens behind the scene. Our aim is to push the tone to create the awareness, so when it is happening in the heart of the city, definitely people would like to see. So once they come and watch the race and after experiencing the adrenaline rush, surely they will turn themselves to be motorsports fans. This is one way or the other, we can create the ecosystem in which we are doing various programmes. From April to June we had the National Championships in which we went to six cities and irrespective of who they are, everybody came and participated and in fact it was a good response in only the fourth year and actually we have kept in the event about 250-350 participants. We were expecting maybe 100-150. Surprisingly every city on an average 600-700 people were coming and which was a win win situation for us as it shows the younger generation is much more interested in the motorsports.

3) Why people would pursue in a costly sport in Motorsport ?

A formula four seat cost in India around 150-160k INR but we are giving aspirers scholarship for free of cost and we going to make sure we are giving cheapest of all as it will help Indian drivers to afford things in Indian motorsports. As the standard of living increase these days and there are always misconception and mainly in our country knowing that motorsport is quite costly and all so take that away I am doing various talent hunts and championships in India to show that it’s equal to any other sport. To give a example, these days if the kids wants to join in any cricket academy and if it’s for old or present cricketers, they are charging monthly around 3-5 lakhs which is common and many are paying for it. When I was a kid, buying a kookaburra kit of around 12 or 13 gm was around 15-16 lakhs and when you want to buy a karting four stroke car, it comes around 75-80 k INR and if you want to train yourself in the karting track we charge monthly around 50 to 70 thousand and along with this we are giving free internships for engineering Students.  So in general, the kids who are interested in automobile engineering will prefer to go in these type of things. Most of them go to London and pay around 20-25 pounds to learn things but I am giving them for free of cost. We will pick local mechanics so that we will give initiation with the mechanics and they will get free internship with European motorsport mechanics. Local mechanics will get exposure and in this season we are in talks that two students from engineering and two from mechanics side after evaluating them, will give them free internship in F3 Asia and the French championship. After that if they feel they are really good then might give them the job in Formula 2 racing. So this way we are putting the ladder that students and mechanics can mould their career in motorsports firstly and secondly we are creating a ecosystem and coming down the line from six or seven years like how in any part of the world the game is happening and people have to run to the Europe because no other country has the ecosystem of motorsport. But I want to create motorsport ecosystem in six or seven years at least in the state, giving competition to Europe. I want to create the break event and my idea is to put one female driver in the Formula 2 by the year 8 and one driver in Formula 1 by year 9-10 and all the targets are long term which are quite realistic and practical.

4) Can you share light on training and programmes for the domestic mechanics ?

For them we are looking at the local workshops and local areas, where there are famous mechanics and we have to find and give them some task and once they do it on merit base, then they will be selected and their will be no interview or written test for the mechanics and it all will be on practical test. Evaluation will be done on how they are doing personally firstly and second thing how they adopt new things.

5) What’s the personal capital invested in the Indian racing league and and what will be future investments of the league ?

We have the invested around 250-300 INR Crore for the year 1 and this year we are looking around at another 70-80 of the investment so hopefully next year, I think the operational cost going to decrease but a little bit investment might be there because in next year we are planning for one more street circuit. But I think this is going to be this year and next year of the investment of the street circuit because after doing 3 street circuit definitely its gonna gain popularity and once they start and the state governments start giving helping hands to us then it will be easier for us to to do much for and rather than investing on circuits. We can invest on the programmes where we can train the kids, engineers and the mechanics in a much more better way. So we are looking it up and we are in talks with couple of governments and we are giving proposal and trying to explain them and as you know this is the first season and after the 2nd second season we will have much more confidence for us but the Telangana Govt gave us the permission for the first season and they were also kind and gave full support to us and this year even Tamil Nadu is in the same line and they are supporting us in a good way and we are in final discussions and so almost about to close but I will not say it is 100 percent but 90 percent it is almost closed. We are in discussion to do a street circuit in Chennai this year. Last year we did India’s first street circuit and this year we gonna do night race street circuit. So its gonna be in line with Singapore or LAS Vegas and I would probably give the public to watch night racing in Chennai rather than going to Las Vegas or Singapore. It will be some experience and almost everything is going to be the same because Singapore and Las Vegas is quite humid like Chennai. I am very much certain that I am doing this year and with the Govt we are in final stage of discussion and we will announce this in upcoming week or two I guess, if all thing goes well.

6) So tell us more about the infrastructure development in Indian motorsports and what you will be providing.

As of now, we are only looking up on the street circuits. Not really certain about the permanent circuit. My idea is to create at least five street circuits in coming five to six years. In that way, we can put India into the world motorsports map by saying that the only country with more than two street circuits. Because till today, the only country which have more than one street circuit is US. That is one Miami and one is Las Vegas which they are doing this year. But no other country and I don’t see any other country making up more than two or three street circuits in their own territory. So in that way, firstly, we can put India into a global scale and we can show them that India is no less in the global market where we are able to make five street circuits but not one. So after that, we have to look up on the trend and then we have to see which city would be much more efficient to put a permanent track. Then we are planning to work on that later on. But as the first step, our agenda is to put India into the global map and put it as a quite competent contender. So we are looking up for the five street circuits in India.

7) How are you looking to scout talent in India?

So we are doing the karting championships at national level. This year, as the first year, we were only in six cities. Next year, we’re planning for seven or eight cities and the registration fee is 300 bucks. Well, I don’t even get the fuel for that (laughs). But I’ve just kept it at 300 bucks because if you give something for free, people think that this doesn’t worth giving a chance or this is something low quality. So just to make sure that they don’t feel that this is some low grade product or something like that just for the sake, I have kept just only that amount of money. Initially they pay the 300 bucks as an entry fee but later on in the qualifiers, the heat sessions and then the semis and everything is for free of cost. Coming to the engineering students, so we are doing this talent hunt without any entry fee also. The only thing they have to do is like they have to register with us and they have to follow the leagues, social media and social networking, that’s it. They are getting the internship worth minimum of 25 lakhs INR.  So in this way, the youth will definitely get attracted and they will definitely feel happy about it because you know, lots of people are interested about the motorsports. The basic thing that is lacking is the family support. There’s nothing wrong on the parents’ side also when they don’t support for the motorsport because it’s just that there is no line or a ladder for motorsport in India. But with this, firstly, the youth will get an opportunity irrespective of their financial background or social background. They have the talent and skills. If they get a chance, they should take it. They will grow into a phenomenal way in just one year. Because if they are starting the karting championships in April and if they got the skills and everything, then just imagine they’ll be driving the Formula 4 in October or November. So the transition period is only eight months. Once they get into the Formula 4, then it means they have started their motorsport career. Next year, we are doing the Formula 3. So my target was to put a female driver in Formula 2 on the day, the moment when one driver from India, one driver from this league goes to that stage. And we have already established the ladder over here. The Formula 4, Formula 3, and then the karting championships and other things. I have a team in F3 Asia where immediately after the Formula 3, they can go there. So even parents will get at some point, even they will get the assurance and confidence that they can support their kids into this because now there is a platform. There is no lack of platform. But the initial step, as I mentioned to you, definitely they will give a shot because they have a platform now. And if they have the skills worth showcasing, then definitely they can do good.