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As India gears up to celebrate its 67th independence day, we at OnCars would like to take a moment to commemorate a few respected individuals for their impactful contribution to the Indian automotive industry.
The following is a list of automotive personalities who have achieved their status through the might of their outlook, their focus and their dedication towards excellence.
Ratan Tata
The man behind what most of us know as the ‘Rs one-lakh car’- the Nano, Ratan Tata was also the driving force behind India's first indigenous car, the Indica. Tata Motors’ acquisition of the iconic luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover was not met with much encouragement, but now as we see it, the Indian auto giant has impressively turned J-LR’s fortunes around for the better.
After serving for nearly two decades as the chairman of Tata Motors, Ratan Tata announced his retirement on December 13, 2012 from the coveted position. Besides receiving doctorates from several universities in India and overseas Mr Tata received the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s most distinguished civilian awards, in 2000 and Padma Vibhushan in 2008 during his tenure.
Karun Chandok
Being the only Indian to race in Formula 1 after Narain Karthikeyan, Karun has a great bulk of experience behind the wheel of race cars. He first shot into fame in the year 2001 after becoming the youngest ever Asian Formula Champion driving for 'Team India Racing'. Having won the opening 5 races of the season and winning a record 8 races, Karun was presented with the award for the 'Most promising Asian driver of the year'.
After a successful stint at the first ever Asian Formula Renault V6 Championship in 2006, he was assigned as a test driver for the Red Bull Racing Formula One Team the year after.In 2012, Karun created history as he became the first Indian to race in the 24 Hours of Le Man by driving for the JRM team which took a respectable sixth spot in the gruesome 24 hour race.
Anand Mahindra
As the Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra, here is the man who added momentum to the utility vehicle revolution in India. Under his leadership, M&M has come a long way from being a utility vehicle maker to a top-notch SUV brand. During his tenure, Mahindra has made quite a few significant steps forward with notable acquisitions including Reva electric car brand and Korean SUV maker, Ssangyong.
An avid Twitter user, Mr Anand frequently shares his views and ideas on the popular social networking website.
Aditya Patel
Starting young is the way to go in motorsports and this guy here got it just right. He started racing 13 years ago, way back in the year 2000 and has moved forward ever since. He has proven his forte time and again, with the victory at the Nurburgring 24-hour race in 2012 being one of the high points in his career. What could be better than that for someone who never raced at the famed but one of the most challenging race-tracks, the Nurburging!
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