Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 2 | Issue 1 | Mar - May 2017 | Page 25

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
followed rallies closely. Pamudurthy had gone to
college with them in Bengaluru, but they had met only
once they graduated, about five years ago. They had
travelled together in a road trip earlier, Bengaluru friends
driving up to Coorg. Last year, they took part in the
Singapore Grand Prix. But this would be dramatically
different. In order to participate in the Mongol Rally, you need
to have a vehicle which is powered by a engine smaller
than 1,000 cc. This led the friends unanimously point
their finger in the direction of Tata Nano. With the
team and car decided, the trio named themselves as the
NanoMADs. They are the first Indian team to
participate in Mongol Rally with an Indian car.
All three were up for a challenge, but they knew it would
be a huge commitment. They would need to take two
months off their regular lives, and for three working
professionals, it was going to be tough to organise their
lives around the rally. No one thought they could do it. Engineers and auto
industry specialists had told them it was impossible.
Even they weren’t completely sure that their tiny
car --a Tata Nano Twist-- could make it through 18,000
kilometres in rough terrain from London to Mongolia
over a gruelling two-month schedule.
“We didn’t mean the “yes” at that time,” said
Pamudurthy, who works with a startup. “It’s The trio then approached Tata Motors because they
probably not on anyone’s bucket list because it’s so wanted to drive a Nano for the rally. They wanted it to be
unconventional.”
really challenging, and the rules of the rally require the
car to be below 1000cc. Driving the tiny Nano through
A trip like the Mongol Rally can be challenging in many 13 countries would certainly fit the ‘challenging’
ways, but it can also make or break friendships. “You criteria--it’s a car built for city roads, not rough travel.
have to make sure you are ok with 50 days in a closed Experts from the technical and automobile industry had
space with two others,” said Pamudurthy. “We are three told them it was improbable that the Nano could go all
different characters. We knew it would be too much fun the way.
on the road.”
But John had a Nano, and they had decided they would
So they decided to dive right in.
drive one for the rally. They wrote to Ratan Tata to tell
him their plan, just on a lark. “He actually replied to us
John, who works in the automobile industry, has his and wished us luck,” said Pamudurthy, adding that Tata
own startup, and he worked out a schedule that would Motors became an official sponsor, giving them a Nano
allow him to take the time off for the rally. Pamudurthy’s Twist for the rally.
schedule too allowed her similar flexibility. Kuttaiah
timed his job change in a way that the transition period Various modifications were made to the Tata Nano
coincided with the rally. They really wanted to make it to ensure its performance in the rally. These modifica-
work.
tions included sump guards on the engine and fuel tank
besides a Global Positioning System tracker to guide
“We wanted to stand out,” said Pamudurthy. “We just them through unknown territory. A 300 litre roof box
really wanted to make a difference through our journey. for storage of travel equipment and a 22 litre jerry car
We wanted to think beyond ourselves.”
for storage of fuel was also part of the changes made to
the Nano.
Pamudurthy had, in the past, volunteered for the
non-profit Make A Difference (MAD), which helps “No one really believed in us ending this,” Pamudurthy
children in shelter homes. As the Mongol Rally requires had told reporters at the beginning of their trip. At the
participants to choose a charity of its choice, the team time they were on the 11th day of their trip, and had
decided to raise money for MAD.
clocked 5,000 kilometres and stopped at Toulon, in the
south of France.
“We feel that the education space is the answer to most
of India’s problems,” Pamudurthy said. “But education
doesn’t ensure the children aren’t back in the streets.
“We didn’t mean the
We picked MAD because they go beyond education,
and give emotional support and run programs for these
“yes” at that time,”
children to actually solve the problem.”
Vol 2|Issue 1|Mar - May 2017
25