As superbikes take over the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in 2023-24 in a high-speed game of chase, fans will get a chance to witness pro riders risking their lives in a 45 minutes battle in what has been titled as “The Grand Prix of Bharat”.

The race will encompass riders riding at more than 300 kmph trying to overtake each other through the narrowest of spaces with hardly anything protecting them like in the case of Formula1. Blink your eyes and you’ll end up missing everything. Such will be the scenes here as the art of pro bike racing makes its debut in a country with over 200 million motorcycles plying on the road.

With this recent announcement a wave of ecstasy has run through the hearts of auto enthusiasts both old and young.

In 2020, the event reached more than 200 countries via live TV signals, had 22,208 hours of broadcast and reached 432 million homes via cable satellite network.

The sport enjoys 338 million cumulative audience, 92 million live audience and 24.2 million average audience as per a Nielsen report and yet it could not manage to grab eye balls in the largest 2-wheeler vehicle producing country in the world.

So, this could potentially be the watershed moment the sport has been looking for. Grand Prix Motorcycle racing is the third most viewed event globally after the Olympics & FIFA World Cup.

India has, in the past, witnessed Asia Road Racing Championship from 2016-18.

Efforts are underway in the country to build the necessary infrastructure. There are 5 racetracks under development—Marque One Racetrack near Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh, which will be the longest racetrack in the country and aiming for grade B license from FIM, CoASTT near Coimbatore, Nanoli Speedway near Mumbai, The Valley Speedway near Chitradurga in Karnataka and Pista Motor Speedway on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

With a 7-year MoU between the commercial owner of MotoGP, Dorna Sports and Noida-based race promoters Fairstreet Sports, it remains to be seen how much of an impact can be created by the sport in this diverse nation. Riders from over 19 countries are expected to participate in this event.

MotoGP is expected to generate an estimated 50,000 jobs directly, while about 5,000 jobs during the race weekend. Besides, it will give a boost to the tourism sector.

Growing number of races encourage the youth to pick up the sport. Also, the and from the government is encouraging.

Despite India is home to a good number of manufacturers of 2 and 4-wheelers, domestic manufacturers have not ventured into motorsport at the highest level as compared to their European counterparts like Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Ducati, Aprilia, KTM.

India’s Mahindra and Mahindra took part in the 125cc and Moto3 segments.

However, the expectations of having our own constructor at the highest level fell apart as the auto manufacturer decided to stop fielding its own outfit and, instead, remained a constructor for other teams.

A combination of these 2 aspects—home races and participation of local manufacturers—is what helped the sport a success in the European market. Besides, a strong fan base helped this sport.

The sport will face stiff competition from other motor sporting events like Formula1 races which are more popular than 2-wheeler racing events.

Fans will have to be made aware what makes MotoGP more enthralling. This sport involves only manual efforts of the rider unlike F1 where the electronics take over the throttle over 180 kmph.

F1 cars also clock faster lap times as the extra 2 tyres help provide grip at the corners. This sport also does not involve any pitstops or tyre changes. Shorter races leave no room for error and the absence of team radio leaves things at the rider’s discretion in the middle of all the action. If things go awry, it’s a man vs machine in a battle for survival.

Fan engagement and involvement will hold the key as MotoGP strives to inspire a new generation of young riders and create a sustainable market in the country.

VV Ravi Kumar is Deputy Director and Rajat Kumawat is an MBA student at Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune. Views are personal

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