evo India Podcast

In the latest episode of the evo India Podcast, Editor Sirish Chandran sits down with veteran automotive journalist Bob Rupani for an in-depth discussion on the highs and lows of the Indian automotive industry. The conversation begins with the ban on old cars in Delhi and India’s scrappage policy, raising concerns about losing iconic cars such as the Maruti 800, Premier Padmini, Hindustan Ambassador, and classic Tata Motors models, vehicles that deserve to be preserved in museums to keep Indian automotive heritage alive for future generations. They also highlight the inconsistency of automotive policies in India, the challenges faced by car manufacturers, and the uncertainty created for consumers. Another key topic is the proposed diesel ban in India, which could impact not just the auto industry but also multiple sectors that rely heavily on diesel fuel. The podcast further explores issues with traffic laws in India, road safety, and the urgent need for stricter and more consistent enforcement to reduce accidents, fatalities, and injuries. Listen now to hear Bob Rupani and Sirish Chandran discuss India’s old car ban, scrappage policy, automotive heritage, diesel ban, policy challenges, and road safety.

In the latest episode of the evo India Podcast, Editor Sirish Chandran sits down with veteran automotive journalist Bob Rupani for an in-depth conversation on the history of Indian motorsport. They talk about the inception of rallying in India, the legendary London–Sydney Marathon that passed through Indian cities, and Bob’s experiences working with the late Nazir Hoosein: the visionary who introduced the Himalayan Rally in the 1980s and later the Great Desert Himalayan Rally, India’s attempt at a version of the Dakar Rally. The discussion also covers the challenges and support that motorsport pioneers faced in India, the golden era of rallying, and the unforgettable days of racing at Sholavaram. Tune in to the evo India Podcast to relive iconic moments of Indian rallying history, the rise of the Himalayan Rally, and Bob Rupani’s insights on motorsport in India.

In the latest episode of the evo India Podcast, Editor Sirish Chandran and Executive Editor Aatish Mishra dive deep into Mahindra’s newly unveiled NU.IQ platform — the foundation for the brand’s upcoming ICE and electric SUVs. Revealed on Independence Day, Mahindra also showcased four bold new concept SUVs: the Vision X, Vision T, Vision S, and Vision SXT. In this episode, they discuss the design language, platform highlights, powertrain options, and the segments these Mahindra concept SUVs will compete in against key rivals. Listen to the full evo India podcast now to discover everything you need to know about Mahindra’s NU.IQ platform and the exciting Vision SUV concepts.

In this special episode of the evo India podcast, Ed Sirish Chandran and Assistant Editor Aatish Mishra talk about The Vietnamese automaker – Vinfast. Aatish visited Vietnam recently to check out their cars and their plans for India. The brand is launching its cars in India this year and have already begun production at their plant in Tamil Nadu. Sirish and Aatish discuss about Vinfast’s products coming to India, their production plans, and predict their success in the Indian market.

In the latest episode of the evo India Podcast, Editor Sirish Chandran sits down with Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman & MD of RPPL — the organisers of the Indian Racing Festival, which includes the Indian Racing League and the Formula 4 India Championship.Akhilesh shares his vision for building a strong motorsport ecosystem in India, creating pathways for Indian racing drivers and motorsport engineers to showcase their talent on the global stage. They discuss development programs in collaboration with the Indian Motorsports Academy through L.I.M.E (Launchpad for Indian Motorsports Engineers), aimed at training and placing engineers in top racing teams.The conversation also dives into the Indian Racing League — known as the IPL of motorsports in India — with its city-based team ownership format and the excitement of the recently concluded driver auction.Watch this podcast to learn more about the Indian Racing Festival, how the races are structured, opportunities for young talent, and the future of motorsport in India.If you’re a budding engineer with a passion for motorsports, visit indianmotorsportsacademy.com for details on the engineering program and internship opportunities with multiple teams in the Indian Racing League.

In this episode of the evo India Podcast, Editor Sirish Chandran and Assistant Editor Aatish Mishra dive into the latest buzz from the Indian automotive world.They discuss the big news about Tesla's India launch, with the Tesla Model Y, the brand's first offering. Aatish shares his experience driving the MG M9 EV and the Kia Carens Clavis EV, while also talking about a chilled-out road trip to Goa in the luxurious Mercedes-Benz GLS.Sirish weighs in on the striking new MG Cyberster electric roadster, the all-wheel-drive Tata Harrier EV, and his high-speed stint with the new Lamborghini Temerario at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal. Did he manage to cross 300kmph? You’ll have to watch to find out.And on two wheels, they talk about a true icon making a comeback — the legendary Kinetic DX, now reborn as an electric scooter.Watch the full podcast now, and get yourself the weekly dose of all things automotive.

Ever wondered what China, the world's automotive manufacturing hub, truly produces? This podcast is your ultimate guide to the Chinese car market! We dissect Chinese car culture, contrasting consumer preferences in China vs. India. Explore the most popular cars driven by Chinese consumers and the performance of premium brands like BMW China, Audi China, Mercedes-Benz China, and Volkswagen China.Uncover the surprising trend of Xiaomi electric cars and other Chinese tech giants entering the auto sector. Plus, what do Chinese roads and infrastructure reveal about their automotive future?Ed Sirish Chandran and Senior Correspondent Prashant Agrawal engage in a captivating discussion, drawing from Prashant's exclusive insights after being invited by Xiaomi to experience their groundbreaking Xiaomi YU7 SUV. Gain a unique perspective on the Chinese auto industry, drawing parallels and distinctions with the Indian automotive landscape, and glimpse the exciting future of mobility

In this special episode of the evo India Podcast, Editor Sirish Chandran and Assistant Editor Aatish Mishra talk about the recently finalised India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed on May 6, 2025. This landmark trade deal is set to boost bilateral trade between India and the UK, open up market access, and significantly influence the Indian automotive industry. What does the FTA mean for imported luxury cars and motorcycles? Will we finally see a price drop on vehicles like Range Rover, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and Norton Motorcycles? How will this impact automobile imports and exports, local manufacturing, and car pricing in India? Sirish and Aatish discuss the expected tariff reductions, and the potential long-term impact on both Indian and British automotive brands.

Diesels are very much on the agenda says Ashish Gupta, brand director of Skoda India on the evo India podcast. In this conversation with editor Sirish Chandran, Ashish Gupta hints at the time frame for the Octavia vRS launch plus they delve into hot topics such as ownership and service costs of Skoda cars, the facelift of the Skoda Kushaq, and discuss whether there is a rivalry between Volkswagen and Skoda in India. Watch the podcast now to get the inside scoop on Skoda India's future plans!

In this week’s episode, Sirish and Aatish discuss the affordable enthusiast cars in India. Last decade, it was a booming segment with over six warm hatches on sale, however in 2025, it is just the i20 N Line holding fort. With customers moving to the compact SUV segment, manufacturers are focussed there as well creating a whole spectrum of options. There are pics for the enthusiast — the Kylaq and Mahindra 3X0 come to mind. This free-wheeling conversation explores the state of the enthusiast market in India, the dying phenom of the warm hatch, the rise of the compact SUV and so much more. Enjoy listening!

In this episode of the evo India Podcast, Editor Sirish Chandran and Assistant Editor Aatish Mishra bring you the latest updates from the Indian automotive world — including detailed insights, first impressions, and expert opinions on the cars and bikes in India. They start with the two new SUVs from Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, as the new Skoda Kodiaq and the Volkswagen Tiguan R Line were recently launched in India. They give their opinions about how similar yet different these two SUVs are to each other in terms of features on offer, design, improved driving dynamics, and also the price. Aatish talks about his experience driving the new Windsor EV Pro, which now gets more range, features and also ADAS. Sirish shares his joy of drifting the BMW M5 and his time in Spain driving one very expensive Maybach, the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series. Do watch the full episode to stay up to date with all the latest news and updates from the Indian automotive industry.

In the latest episode of the evo India podcast, Sirish Chandran, editor, evo India, sits down with Aravind Mani, co-founder and CEO of River Mobility and takes a deep dive into what it takes to setup a successful startup in this day and age. Aside from that, Aravind tells us how him and his co-founder went about getting funding, what the major challenges were, the inspiration behind setting up River Mobility, why EVs and not ICE, the Indie, what the plan is going forward and a lot more. Buckle in, this is going to be an interesting one Chapters: 0:00 - Precap0:21 - Introduction1:01 - why should we talk about River Mobility?1:13 - 100 crores in revenue2:03 - River Mobility's competitors2:25 - How it started3:23 - How do you attract investment?3:58 - Arvind was in Petrochemical business5:01 - Being in Ultraviolette5:28 - Quitting job in covid6:59 - Power of well curated presentations8:03 - First product8:11 - First startup funding9:58 - How to find investors?11:29 - Yamaha's investment in River Mobility13:42 - River Mobility's cap table14:58 - Setting up an EV startup today?15:49 - Advice to enter the EV space16:31 - River Mobility's niche20:11 - Nobody will say this21:42 - Integrating different components22:41 - Utility vehicles24:19 - Front foot-pegs25:38 - Target audience26:33 - Is pricing a critical factor?28:33 - Customer's ROI in EV29:18 - Subsidies30:15 - What keeps your awake at night?33:34 - River Indie34:56 - Manufacturing the product37:37 - Testing37:58 - Importance of quality39:37 - Software40:02 - River Mobility's team41:48 - Is software crucial in an EV?42:11 - River EV's infotainment43:18 - EV fleet44:23 - Origin of River's name45:01 - Why not a motorcycle?46:48 - Learnings from customers51:30 - Selling in stores instead of online52:16 - Difference in customers North vs South India53:06 - One on one with customers54:16 - Getting finance partners55:25 - How many products needed to sustain57:10 - River Mobility's second product58:32 - What one thing is Arvind the most proud of?59:32 - Outro

In the latest episode of the evo India podcast, Sirish Chandran, Editor, evo India is in conversation with our chief videographer, Sachin Khot. Sachin started out as an intern and now heads the entire team of videographers. He tells Sirish all about automotive videography. He also talks about how one can build a career as an automotive videographer, the skillset needed along with the equipment, and everything else that you need to know about videography in the automotive space. Have a passion for automobiles and love videography? Want to make it into a career? Watch this podcast now!For internship opportunities, please write to us on workwithus@gtopublishing.com

In the latest episode of the evo India podcast, Aatish Mishra, assistant editor, evo India is in conversation with our chief photographer, Rohit Mane. Rohit has been with evo India for the last 9 years and started as an intern. He tells Aatish all about automotive photography. He also talks about how one can build a career as an automotive photographer, the skillset needed along with the equipment, and everything else that you need to know about photography in the automotive space. Have a passion for automobiles and love photography? Want to make it into a career? Hear this podcast now!

In this podcast, Sirish and Aatish discuss the top 10 best road trips in India. They cover every corner of the country, from the Himalayas in the north, to the western coast, the gems of the south and even the north east. At evo India, we spend so much time on the road that we discover some really special roads and destinations. This is a culmination of over three cumulative decades of road tripping between the Ed and Assistant Editor to every corner of India.

In this podcast, Sirish and Karan dive into the making of the latest record set by evo India – the fastest time from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in an EV. Set with the Tata Curvv.ev, they talk about how the record attempt was different from the attempt with the Nexon EV in 2023, how the infrastructure has improved since (both roads and charging) and what the importance of having safe and skilled drivers for a drive of this magnitude is. Apart from that, they also tell you how the drive was planned, what the major obstacles were and how India is a lot better equipped now, to do road trips in an EV.

In this podcast, Sirish and Aatish recount the epic adventure they had covering 2500km in two Porsches. They took the Porsche 911 Carrera and electric Macan Turbo on a drive from Delhi to Pune, but they took the long road home. Taking the route via Jaisalmer, they stayed away from the mega expressways and drove through the true India. In this podcast, they discuss what it is like to drive a sports car in India, how comfortable it is, how practical it is and whether you can actually, realistically road trip with a Porsche sports car in India! Chapters:0:00 - Intro1:31 - Driving the 911 Carrera and Macan Turbo from Delhi to Pune2:19 - Can the Porsche handle Indian roads?2:52 - Porsche 911 can be everyday sportscar in India3:02 - Start of the drive3:18 - Porsche Macan Turbo Electric as a support car4:05 - Porsche press fleet4:58 - No hotel rooms to stay in for the night5:54 - Jhunjhunu6:29 - Sirish's mistake7:21 - Fabulous roads of Rajasthan8:03 - India's highway network is growing fast9:52 - Everybody stopped and stared10:23 - Porsche is expensive11:28 - 911 without the aero kit12:35 - Shade green metallic12:59 - Bharatmala road14:09 - Beautiful scenic journey15:14 - 380bhp is enough17:21 - Drag race between 911 Carrera and Macan Turbo electric17:34 - Thoughts on the Macan Turbo electric20:04 - Electric sound costs extra20:16 - Impressive range of the Macan Turbo electric21:04 - How do you deal with bad roads?22:15 - Dealing with bad roads in a Porsche24:46 - Porsche meets Statue of Unity26:27 - Aatish's nightmare road28:44 - Porsche gave zero problems29:20 - Saputara ghat31:29 - Sirish's criticism31:40 - Space is enough inside the Porsche32:22 - Creature comforts32:45 - Where the 911 earns it's name33:52 - Greatest sportscar in the world34:10 - BMW M234:28 - Nuance in a car36:10 - Grateful towards Porsche37:41 - Crack on the windshield38:41 - If you have a nice car39:37 - Cover of Evo India March 202540:21 - Outro

In this episode of the evo India Podcast, Editor Sirish Chandran and Assistant Editor Aatish Mishra bring you the latest updates from the Indian automotive world. Kicking things off is Aatish, who tells us everything about the new Kia Syros, the comfort on offer and how it has knee room similar to that in the E-Class. Sirish talks about the Defender Octa which he drove in the vast landscape of South Africa, the fun and the joy of driving it off the road. They also touch upon the G 63 AMG and the new electric G 580, and how the Camry makes for a good value for money, luxury sedan at a ₹50 lakh budget. Hear the full podcast and get your weekly dose of all things automotive!

In this special episode of the evo India podcast, Adil Jal Darukhanawala, editor-at-large, speaks with Sanjay Takale, the first Indian to drive a car at Dakar 2025. Sanjay Takale partnered with the French team Compagnie Saharienne and drove a Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ78, finishing 18th overall and 10th in class. In this podcast, Adil quizzes Sanjay about his journey as a rally driver, including his early days in the sport, and the different rallies he participated in to prepare for Dakar. He also tells us about the Dakar experience, its different stages, and how each stage presents a different challenge. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this rally special episode, in which we celebrate Sanjay Takale's illustrious career and his feat of becoming the first Indian to drive a car at Dakar and finish it.

In this special Formula 1 episode of the evo India podcast, we have Editor Sirish Chandran and Editor-at-Large Adil Jal Darukhanawala in conversation with former F1 driver and Sky Sports broadcaster, Karun Chandhok. They discuss the biggest F1 news of 2025—7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari—and whether he can secure his elusive 8th drivers’ championship. The conversation also recaps the 2024 Formula 1 season, analyzing key moments and team performances. Looking ahead, they delve into the new F1 regulations set for 2026 and explore how they could impact the teams and the competitive landscape. Additionally, Adil quizzes Karun on the potential return of the Indian Grand Prix, the logistical challenges involved, and the opportunities available for aspiring Indian drivers who dream of entering Formula One. Stay tuned for expert insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and all the latest from the world of Formula 1!