City’s Naveen gets special FMSCI Award

FMSCI President Arindam Ghosh revealed aggressive plans to bring Formula 1 back to India by 2030, alongside MotoGP and WRC rounds by 2028. The roadmap was discussed in a successful high-level meeting with the Union Sports Ministry

Hyderabad: Efforts are on to bring Formula 1 back to India by 2030, and a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and MotoGP by 2028, said FMSCI President Arindam Ghosh, after a meeting on Thursday with the Sports Ministry in Delhi.

Later, at the FMSCI Annual Awards function, Mr. Ghosh said “the meeting with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State Raksha Khadse, senior officials and potential stakeholders in New Delhi, focused primarily on bringing F1, MotoGP and a round of the WRC to India.”

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“The Federation stressed the need to develop Indian drivers and the overall development of motorsports in India, and the FMSCI’s inputs were well received,” he added.

At the Awards Night in Bengaluru, all the Motorsports National champions for 2025 were honoured and 137 trophies across 17 disciplines, both two-wheelers and four wheelers, were presented. Awards were also given to the winning teams, promoters and sponsors.

The youngest National champion at 9 years, Arshi Gupta of Faridabad, Eshanth Vengatesan of Chennai and Bengaluru’s Ishaan Madesh bagged FIA president’s medals for National karting.

Special awards were also given for international achievements to Hyderabad’s Naveen Puligilla and Musa Sherif of Kasargod, the first ‘Indian driver and co-driver team’ to secure a WRC3 class podium finish at a World Rally Championship round, and Bengaluru’s Aishwarya Pissay, the first Indian woman to win a round of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship in Portugal last year.

For bringing laurels at the Asia level, Chennai’s Jagathishree Kumaresan, Faridabad’s Muskaan Jubal, Achintya Mehrotra of Delhi,Aaruthran Prabhu, Tiruchengode, TN, and Chikkamagaluru’s Tarushi Vikram were also feted.

Ashwinkumar Pandit (sporting official), CV Srinath (technical official) and Gautam Shanthappa (marshal) were awarded for their work as volunteers.