Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence

This Saturday’s Hyderabad E-Prix will be a landmark moment for motorsport in India. It will mark the return of world championship-level motorsport to the subcontinent, nearly a decade after Formula 1 last visited the Buddh International Circuit in October 2013. The extended absence of top-tier racing championships in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies might seem shocking to some from the outside, but in truth motorsport has never been able to establish a foothold in India.

Cricket has been the dominant sport in the country for as long as anyone can remember, with the addition of the T20 format in the mid-2000s taking it to even greater heights. At a recent auction, the TV and online streaming rights for the Indian Premier League were sold for a staggering five billion pounds, putting IPL in the same breath as the English Premier League and NFL in terms of broadcasting revenue.

But while cricket remains the undisputed king in the nation of 1.4 billion people, the majority of which are under 30 years of age, Indians have been embracing more and more forms of sporting competitions in the last decade. Perhaps the best indication of that change was the recently-concluded football World Cup, which was streamed by 32 million people on digital devices across the country - with millions more watching Argentina beat France on terrestrial TV.

F1’s popularity in India has also surged in recent years thanks to the Drive to Survive factor, despite the demise of the Force India team during the middle of the 2018 season and the absence of an Indian driver on the grid since Narain Karthikeyan's second stint concluded in 2012. Formula E will be hoping to capitalise on this building excitement, as it aims to rebuild its audience with new Gen3 cars following an exodus of car manufacturers.

The all-electric championship has always had India on its radar, with Mahindra Racing - one of the founding teams in 2014 - also pushing for a home event since the inception of the series. However, all previous efforts came to a naught and it has taken until Season 9 for the race to come to a reality, with the southern city of Hyderabad being chosen to host the much-awaited first event in India.

While Hyderabad may not be as well known internationally as the capital of Delhi or the bustling financial hub of Mumbai, it is a major cultural and IT hub with a sizeable economy of its own, making it an ideal city for Formula E’s international expansion.

India hasn't had a presence on the F1 grid since Karthikeyan made his return in 2012, seven years after his 2005 debut with Jordan

Photo by: Sutton Images

More importantly from FE’s perspective, the race will take place in the very heart of the city, with the famous Hussain Sagar lake serving as the backdrop. This means FE will be taking racing to the people, something the Indian GP failed to do with a track that was located on the outskirts of the capital and in an area that was yet to be fully urbanised.

The race will be promoted by leading wind, solar and hydro power producer Greenko Group, with direct support from the government of Telangana. The involvement of the state government is seen as an important factor in pulling off the event, especially after the taxation saga that clouded F1’s brief tenure in India.

Admittedly, bureaucracy was only one reason behind the demise of the Indian GP after just three seasons, with the financial troubles of organiser Jaypee Group the primary reason for F1’s departure. Support from the ruling party in Hyderabad should make it a lot simpler for the promoter Greenko Group to get regulatory approvals needed to organise the event.

While the presence of Mahindra - and to some extent the Tata-owned Jaguar team - will mean the local crowd will have a home favourite of sorts, it is imperative for an Indian driver to rise up the ranks and win races at world championship level for motorsport to become truly popular in the country

Certainly, it would have been impossible for a private company to host a race entirely on its own in India, especially as Formula E requires public roads to be closed for extended durations. The government would have most certainly proved to be a major hurdle had a corporation dared to go solo with a street race. Equally, a fully-funded government event could have caused a range of issues from poor organisation to corruption, as witnessed during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The organisation aspect is still a matter of concern, especially after a pair of Indian Racing League rounds in November and December were marred by poor management and, bizarrely, a tree falling on track during a live session. Paying spectators too were generally unimpressed by the quality of facilities that were on offer, but the organisers will be held to much greater standards this time around when Formula E comes to town, meaning there should hopefully be fewer concerns going forward.

From a sporting point of view, though, the addition of a Formula E race is a major step forward in building a fanbase for motor racing in India. An event of this scale in the city will naturally attract attention, as will the marketing efforts of Mahindra, a household name in the country.

The common goal will be making the Hyderabad E-Prix a popular annual event that will continue to draw healthy audiences, something the Indian GP also failed at. The initial buzz surrounding F1 fizzled out as the years went by, leading to a depleted crowd for the third and final edition of the race.

It is hoped that bringing racing to the city streets will attract more interest than F1 mustered in its short-lived Indian GP, which was last staged in 2013

Photo by: Sutton Images

But to achieve this goal, India will need to have a local hero to cheer for in Formula E - and other motorsport championships in general. While the presence of Mahindra - and to some extent the Tata-owned Jaguar team - will mean the local crowd will have a home favourite of sorts, it is imperative for an Indian driver to rise up the ranks and win races at world championship level for motorsport to become truly popular in the country.

True, the current generation of Indian drivers, led by Mahindra’s new reserve Jehan Daruvala, have carried on their work of predecessors Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok, showing it is possible to succeed in international motorsport with the right tools. But the bitter truth is that it would take some time before an outstanding racing driver emerges from the nation, one who will be able to put up a real fight against the very best in the business.

Unfortunately, getting to that stage requires promotion of motorsport at grass-root level. And the returns from that are unlikely to be realised for at least a decade. The fact that there are only three purpose-built race tracks in India - albeit with a few more under construction - shows just how much work is required to offer more opportunities for budding racers in the country.

All in all though, the arrival of Formula E - and the inaugural MotoGP Indian GP later this year at the Buddh circuit - can only spell something positive for fans of car (and bike) racing in India. But it will take more than just a few international events for motor racing to properly establish a foothold…

Mahindra now finally has a home Formula E race to shout about - can it spur interest in India?

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images