I am of the opinion that nothing is a proper adventure if there isn't adversity to overcome. Mahindra had arranged for a somewhat ambitious drive experience for its new Scorpio-N, with a mission that underlined the unity and eco-friendly nature of the brand. Starting from Kandivali in Mumbai, the Green Drive Project had teams of journalists drive to the four corners of India, collecting soil from various cities along the way, along with a few trees for planting. The aim was to reach the furthest corner, and then plant the trees using the soil collected en route, to show that there is growth in unity.
I didn't have the opportunity to join the convoy right at the start, but I joined the team that was on the eastern leg for the most exciting part - from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kaho in Arunachal Pradesh. The village of Kaho is as far east as you can go while remaining in India, and the road to 'India's first village' is a treacherous one, despite the Border Roads Organisation doing its best to keep the thoroughfare in the best condition possible. After all, these are the same roads that are used by the Indian armed forces, and they need to be in passable condition to reach those remote locations.
It was surprisingly hot and humid as I landed in Dibrugarh - the effect of the mighty Brahmaputra flowing nearby - and I waited for the convoy to reach me. It was, understandably, delayed, as the intrepid journos who had driven all the way from Mumbai via Nagpur, Raipur, Ranchi, Kolkata, Bagdogra, and Guwahati - had covered about 3750 km in just 9 days, and were trudging along, tired and sleepy. We left Dibrugarh in the late morning and headed to Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, a relatively short 149-km drive, which took us most of the day.
This story is from the September 2022 edition of Motoring World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2022 edition of Motoring World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
STRENGTH TO STRENGHT
What's New for 2024? We dive deep into the redesigned Mercedes-Benz GLE 450
BUILDING BLOCKS
Harley-Davidson takes us on a tour of the Hero Motocorp garden factory plant in Neemrana
PRACTICALLY SMART
The Jupiter 125 was already a comfortable and practical family scooter; what has changed this time around?
SEDAN CHIC
The Mercedes-Benz A200d has style and function and makes a compelling case for sedans
SOFT LANDING
City slicker by day, off-road warrior by weekend: Land Rover's Discovery Sport tackles it all.
MORE IS MORE
And less is a bore seems to be BMW's philosophy with the iX. Does it work?
BAVARIAN BOOST
The BMW iX1 offers thrilling performance and luxurious comfort in a compelling all-electric package
URBAN SPRINTER
From school trips to boardroom meetings, the Force Urbania reimagines the van experience with surprising comfort
N LINETENMENT
Pardon the dad joke, but the Creta N Line is worthy of its price tag, even if doesn't quite take you to motoring nirvana
THE ROADS AHEAD
Volkswagen India's Annual Brand Conference revealed what's in store for India this year.