There is nothing Kartik likes more than telling stories. And there are few stories better than that of the automobile. That is what this particular member of ICOTY lives by. Or at least tries to. Kartik has been trying to capture the world as seen from behind the wheel for the better part of a decade now, and continues to be amazed at the stories that come as standard equipment with all cars, old and new. He also likes examining the relationships between men (women, too) and machines, a bond that seems destined to be an immortal one. But mostly, he likes to keep it simple by keeping his mouth shut and listening to motors sing their stories. At their redlines, of course.
Shivank joined mechanical engineering thinking it would be all about working on fancy cars and fast motorcycles. Fortunately, before reality struck, he jumped ship and started penning down his love for all things automotive to earn a living. Despite being a distressed engineer, he still has a nose for mechanics. And, given a chance, he can talk incessantly about his love for Jeremy Clarkson and MotoGP.
Rahul is one of the most experienced automotive journalists in the Auto Today India team with ten years of experience in the industry. He is on the jury for the Indian Bike of the Year and the Indian Motorcycle of the Year awards. Despite him being primarily a motorcycling enthusiast, Rahul tests cars and is in charge of all road tests in the magazine. Designated Associate Editor, Rahul is constantly hounded for information on cars and on most days, is on the verge of pulling his hair out.
Not too long ago, Abhinav was creating storybook scenarios with scale models of his favourite motorcycles and cars. Now he gets to do it for a living, albeit in 1:1 scale. He has worked across platforms, including magazines, television and websites, for over five years. Old school sedans and two-stroke bikes pique his interest most of all. This is his first time on the IMOTY jury, and he couldn't be more honoured to be part of such esteemed company.
Karan has been obsessed with everything automotive even before his feet could touch the ground on his first bicycle. With a creative mindset and a mission to stir emotions through visual & written content, Karan feels he has best combined his passion for art and his die-hard love for automobiles. He is the Multimedia Producer at AutoX, tasked to bridge the gap between editorial and content production teams. His favourite topics are hot hatchbacks, car modifications, Formula 1, fast bikes and motorcycle safety gear.
As the editor, Aspi has been ably leading the editorial teams of both BIKE India as well as CAR India since 2007. Under his leadership the magazines have gone from strength to strength serving the two magazines’ readers with outstanding value through innovative content. Prior to assuming his current leadership role, Aspi had been the backbone of both the magazines as their Road Test Editor, in charge of conducting all vehicle tests that empowered readers with detailed and credible data that they could rely on. Aspi’s career in journalism began with Overdrive magazine as Road Test Editor where he established the basic tenets of vehicle testing – both for two as well as four wheelers. Before becoming a journalist, his career as a motorcycle racer had been both long and rewarding. Between 1977 and 2004, when he finally hung up his racing boots and leathers, Aspi tasted victory several times both in India and abroad. He is also the only Indian to have ever won a Bronze replica medal at the legendary Isle of Man TT, which he won in 1987. With his immense technical knowledge gleaned from a long racing career during which he built the motorcycles he raced on followed by his role as first Road Test Editor and then Editor, Aspi plays an invaluable role as a jury member of the prestigious World Engine of the Year, Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) and Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) panel.
Hailing from a tiny village in the hinterlands of Northeast India, Saeed developed an interest in auto culture by trawling discarded old magazines from scrap shops. It swiftly dawned on him that this was the career path he was meant to pursue, and set out with a one-way ticket to Pune the day his studies were over. It’s been over a decade and a half now and, while he has regularly done detours to explore other avenues in tech, finance and marketing, Saeed just can’t help returning to his first love(s): riding and writing.
Sirish started writing on cars, bikes and motorsport at Overdrive magazine straight out of engineering college in 2000. He took over as editor seven years later, the youngest automotive publication editor in India, and was responsible for the growth of the brand, most notably by conceptualizing and hosting the award winning Overdrive show on CNBC-TV18.
After 12 years he made a brief detour into the corporate world as head of press at Porsche India, but quickly returned to his calling, founding evo India magazine and ThrillOfDriving.com in 2013.
An absolute automotive-nut and metalhead who loves everything on wheels and the technology that drives them. However, Karan likes the two-wheeled variety just a bit more than the others. When not out riding, or doing something revolving around bikes, you'll find him playing some heavy riffs on his guitar or tinkering with broken pieces of tech.
Travelling and two-wheelers always fascinated Manaal as a child. So much so that he actually made a career out of it. After his stint at evo India moulded him for his journey ahead as an automotive journalist, Zigwheels and BikeDekho helped him sharpen his skills as a road-tester and a video host. Currently, at Motoring World, Manaal is busy nurturing his newfound love for four-wheelers and retro motorcycles.
Kranti has been reviewing cars and motorcycles for more than two decades now. The automotive journey started with the Auto Show on Zee News called 'Wheelocity' and then NDTV, where he started the TV show 'Raftaar'. This show continued for over fifteen years, after which he started the 'Times Drive' vertical at Times Network. While the usual cycle of journalism has gone from print to TV to digital, Kranti has taken the not-so-usual route; after doing TV and digital for 24 years, he joined Network 18 as Editor, OVERDRIVE magazine.
Rohit started his career as a motoring journalist in 2008 with Car India & Bike India. Soon after he co-founded Motoroids. In 2011, hemoved on to take up a more challenging and exciting role of being a TV presenter and content head for the Essel Group's motoring show and automotive vertical respectively. Now he is Assistant Editor, Overdrive Digital, and a reviewer and a presenter for Overdrive's print and TV/ Video operations.
Vikrant has been a motoring journalist for a decade and a half. And in that time he has worked with some of India's top automobile magazines reviewing almost every new car and bike that has been introduced in the Indian market. Currently, he is the Editor of CarWale, BikeWale and CarTrade.
Rishabh has a strong passion for automobiles and loves testing motorcycles. He’s the happiest when he's out on a motorcycle and if it were up to him, he’d spend days riding motorcycles to wherever possible. Having learned the ropes at leading publications, he brings a lot of motorcycle journalistic experience to the table. When not on two-wheels, he’s occupied with watching movies or visiting the latest cafes and restaurants to satiate his need to savour good food.
A biker at heart, Abhay started his automotive journalism career back in 2007 as a motorcycle journalist, and has tested pretty much every two-wheeler launched in the country since then. He is known for his riding skills and ability to push motorcycles to their limits, and his experience of nearly two decades of testing has helped him sharpen his understanding of motorcycles immensely. Besides his friendly approach to testing motorcycles, he is also known for his wheelie skills as he lives by the mantra “Have bike, will wheelie!”
Arpit Mahendra is the Editor of TOI Auto and has been an automotive journalist for over 13 years. His earlier assignments include Express Drives, Auto Tech Review and S&P Global.
