Whenever the name Formula 1 and India are taken together, the first name that comes to mind is Narayan Karthikeyan. Karthikeyan was India’s only Formula 1 driver. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2005 with Team Jordan at the Australian Grand Prix.
In fact, Narayan’s father, GR Karthikeyan is a former Indian National Rally Champion. For this reason, Narayan has been interested in car racing games since childhood. He dreamed of becoming India’s first Formula 1 driver since childhood, which he achieved when he was 16 years old.
Narayan’s first race was held at Sri Perambur near Chennai which was named ‘Formula Maruti’. Not only did he participate, but he was also the winner. He trained at the Elf Winfield Racing School in France and became a semi-finalist in the Pilot Elf Formula Renault competition in 1992.
Narayan has not one, two or three but many titles. In 1993 Narayan came to India to compete in the Formula Maruti race. He also participated in the “Formula Vauxhall Junior Championship” in Great Britain. After gaining experience in European racing, he entered the Formula Ford JT series in Britain in 1994 as the number two driver for the Foundation Racing team.
The same year, he won the Estoril race. He became the first Indian to win the European Championship in the “British Formula Ford Series”. After that, Narayan Karthikeyan turned to the ‘Formula Asia Championship’. In 1995, he participated in car racing and proved himself.
He got second place in Shah Alam, Malaysia. He spent all of 1996 in Formula 1 racing and took part in all competitions. He was not only the first Indian but also the first Asian to win the Formula Asia International Series.
In 1999, Narayan won the championship five times, of which he won the Brands Hatch race twice.
In 2010, the Indian government also awarded him the Padma Shri award for his achievements. After achieving his great position in the racing industry, Narayan also launched a startup. Launched in April 2020 as DriveX, the company offered low-cost and affordable mobility solutions for two-wheelers on subscription and rental models.
However, later he started getting requests to buy this two-wheeler. Then the company started owning and underwriting two models. The company deals with the retail sale of used two-wheelers of all brands, from purchase to refurbishment.
The company’s business growth has attracted the attention of a good number of investors.
A few months after the launch, TVS Motors bought a 48.27% stake in the company for Rs 85.41 crore. By 2021, the company had achieved revenue of Rs 9 crore. While this financial year, it is expected to generate an income of 12 crores.