Mangaluru: ‘Mahindra Adventure’, an initiative of India’s auto major Mahindra and Mahindra, will have four adventure academies in the country by 2020. These will be clubbed with courses on disaster management for the future generations of adventure motoring. The second of these academies was opened on the scenic and treacherous terrain in Kolambe village, overlooking the Mangaluru International Airport on Friday, November 16. The first one is already functioning in Igatpuri in Maharashtra. The other two are being readied in Punjab and in the North Eastern sector.
Outlining the plans after inaugurating the off-road academy here on Friday, the chief of Mahindra Adventure Bijoy Kumar said, “We have come a long way after a rousing reception to our off-road training academy, where over 1600 adventure motorists have been trained since 2013. The terrain we found in Mangaluru is exactly what we were looking for. Mahindra Adventure will have a three-tier training course starting from novice to the next three levels.”
Pana- the local educational institution, has collaborated with Mahindra Adventure for running the motor adventure course. Chairman of the Pana group, Dr Prasad Hegde said, “The adventure motoring academy is a part of the Wellness Academy which is shaping up under the Pana institutions. It is a blend of the creative and reaction side of the human psyche. This channel opens up new horizons for freeing our inner fears and learning to liberate our energies into a new activity, which is innovative, deeply creative and outwardly active.”
Mahindra Adventure has added yet another dimension to adventure motoring. “It has been clubbed with disaster management features. It trains our trainees to recover people, vehicles and materials from the sites of mishaps using onboard vehicle mounted mechanisms and tools. These skills imparted at the Academy can minimise loss of life and property.” said Bijoy Kumar.
A team of trainers have arrived in Mangaluru from Igatpuri, headed by Manish and Selvin. Manish outlined the three courses, and basically stated that it will be a weekend course, to begin with- an elementary course with a focus on allowing participants to enjoy 4X4 driving in a safe and controlled environment – called ‘getting dirty’. The second level is called trail survivor, where, while containing all the features of the previous level, one will delve deeper into vehicle dynamics and driving techniques. The obstacles get tougher along with the added challenge of night off-roading.
The academy will also have the expertise of ace international rallyist Ashwin Naik, who has won several rallies including the tough European Rally Championship earlier this year.
