As a little boy, Anukraman Singh’s fascination with all-wheel driving began during his accompaniment to his kinsmen on their periodic Shikaar (hunting) expeditions. Thereafter as a schoolboy, he would witness off-road motorcycling that would take place next to his horse riding classes in Jaipur’s Lilly Pool grounds. Purchase of the iconic Gypsy led to Anukraman’s participation in official motor rallies. His keen observation of the sport as a participant led him to a quick grasping of its organisation, and over time, Anukraman became a sought-after organiser of motor rallies. And just like that, the idea of Western Motorsports (WM) materialised into Anukraman’s professional dream of organising competitive rallies, adventure, and expeditionary motorsport events.
Ten years down the line, WM has brought countless people together in their shared passion for motorsports and adventure. Anukraman says, “We have brought people outdoors, our activities promote lesser-known places and expose them to new businesses. We have also been instrumental in educating our participants in traffic sensibilities, and have also encouraged them to uphold a more considerate attitude towards nature by refraining from littering and promoting the principles of recycling and reuse. We also host small plantation drives as a part of our events. In all, my goal is to promote Rajasthan as a prime destination for adventure tourism that is nature-friendly in its approach.”
Serving as the first generation into this business, Anukraman admits to this factor as contributing to a professional handicap in terms of experiential ineptitude. Discussing the multitude of challenges that he encountered along the way, he expounds, “There were struggles at every step. Finding sponsors, lobbying, and most crucially, being the first one to set up such an enterprise was difficult, as there is no example to follow or learn from. The challenge of building an adventure community too was very large, especially at a time when motorbike clubs were becoming redundant.”
That said, Anukraman and his team helped revive the motorsport scenario with some innovative ideas and founded a motorbike riding club called Jeypore Bike Riders (JBR) in 2011. The accessible and inclusive nature of JBR started to capture the attention of several bike enthusiasts and photographers and hence, gained greater publicity and membership. With its constant support towards motorcyclists, JBR is on its way to launching its very own motorcycle racing team this year and intends to extend its gambit to the world of cycling and running as well.
With an impressive average of six to seven events per year, WM has begun to work on a motorcycle racing venue project in Bagru, which is situated in the outskirts of Jaipur. Anukraman also intends on conducting workshops for the skilled preparation of adventure vehicles of two as well as four wheels for travel and competitive motorsport.
In hindsight, Anukraman shares the advantage that he enjoyed as one of the first pioneers of motorsport revival. “Being the first one to run such an enterprise gives you the freedom to act as you do not get compared to anyone, he says. As Anukraman looks ahead, he is excited to see WM growing and diversifying. He concludes by highlighting his future goals, “We started as a motorsport company, but now, besides competitive sports, WM is also into adventure tours, camping, bike rides, camping equipment rentals and a supporter of other outdoor sports events such as cycling and running.”