RANGING RICHES

A speedrun from the one of the poshest places in Mumbai to one of the richest villages in India

- Rivan RS

A mad dash from point A to point B is one of the staples of auto journalism. After all, it is relevant to the consumer (seeing as mad dashes are part and parcel of living), and makes a fun story for you, our readers. When I finally got my hands on the brand-new fifth-gen Range Rover, I had to take a proper trip in it — after all, it’s not everyday that an uber-luxury SUV turns up at your door for a few days. And I wanted to spend a proper amount of time in both, the front and the back seats. What better way to do that, than a speedrun from one of the richest areas in Mumbai, to one of the most affluent villages in India?

Madhapar isn’t too well-known in most circles. It’s a village of under 1 lakh people, just about 3 km away from Bhuj, Gujarat. However, this agricultural hamlet is one of the richest villages in the country in terms of bank deposits — around 7600 households reside there, but bank deposits have crossed the ₹ 2000 crore mark! To put that in more relatable terms, the per capita income of Madhapur is about ₹ 15 lakh, while that of the city of Pune is a little under ₹ 3 lakh. It made all the more sense to start in Mumbai’s fancy financial district, BKC, and head to Madhapar, a not so short 2000-km journey.