There’s no denying that motorsport is a male-dominated sport. But male-dominated does not mean male-only, and there’s no shortage of talented, resolute women who have proved that racing sees no gender.
On Women’s Day, we take a look at seven Indian women who have made the headlines in the racing scene this past year, both within the country and internationally.
Aishwarya Pissay
Pissay has been a trailblazer for Indian women in the motorcycle racing arena. She’s bagged multiple wins in the women’s category of some of the most prominent road and rally racing events in the country – including the Indian National Rally Championship, Dakshin Dare, Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (INMRC) and more – and even has a Bajas World Cup title to her name.
2021 was a year of highs and lows for Pissay. A crash in Round 2 of the FIM Bajas World Cup left her with fractures to both her wrists – a potentially career-threatening injury. But after a few surgeries and months of rehab, she returned with a bang. She won the women’s categories of the 2021 Rally De Hampi and Rally of Himalayas, and rounded out the year with her fifth straight national rally title. This is her eighth title overall, taking into account her road racing and rally efforts combined.
Speaking with Autocar India earlier this year, the TVS backed rider said “I’m stronger than I was before the accident at this point – from a riding perspective as well as my physical strength.” But she added that there’s always room for improvement. Along with her national outings, she’s also hoping to return to competing in international events this year.
Anushriya Gulati
Anushriya Gulati is currently competing in the Formula Woman global finals for a chance to earn a fully sponsored McLaren GT4 seat in the 2022 UK GT Cup. She’s the only Indian to make it to the top 11 of the competition, and will now battle it out in Sweden where the final six winners will be selected.
But Gulati’s passion for racing initially started out on two wheels. She’s the only female coach at the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy and she’s completed a host of HOG (Harley Owners Group) rallies. She also holds the accolade of being the first female rider to reach Khardung La.
Her quest to further explore her passion for racing led her to make the leap from two wheels to four. Just a year after she took up single-seater racing, she scored a double title win at the 2020 JK Tyre National Racing Championship, taking home the LBG Formula 4 Rookie and Women’s category trophies. She competed in the recently-concluded 2021 edition, too, finishing 15th overall.
Ryhana Bee
Ryhana Bee is the reigning INMRC champion in the Girls Stock 165cc category. Riding a Yamaha R15 V3, she wrapped up the championship with a round to spare and reclaimed the title after two years.
But what made it a truly special title for her was the fact that 2021 marked her return to racing. She had to sit out the 2020 season after injuring her elbow while competing in the Indian National Rally Championship. But that didn’t seem to hamper her one bit as she managed to win all five races in the 2021 season.
Her mentor happens to be none other than superbike racing ace and 10-time national champion Rajini Krishnan. She even raced for his team, RACR Castrol Power Ultimate, this season. Through her journey from street racing to professional racing, Bee has also picked up wins in the Indian National Sprint Rally Championship, Honda and TVS’ one-make championships and multiple Royal Enfield Rider Mania victories. This year, she’s gearing up to make her return to rallying and is also preparing for another season of racing in the INMRC.
Mira Erda
At just 21 years old, Mira Erda has already amassed a number of accolades in the racing world – including becoming the youngest female LGB Formula 4 competitor in 2014, being crowned the LGB Formula 4 Rookie Champion in 2016, being the first Indian woman to race in the Euro JK category in 2017, and winning the LGB Formula 4 women’s category in 2019. On the international stage, she also scored a podium finish in Round 2 of F4 South East Asia. Most recently, she finished 12th overall in the LGB Formula 4 class of the 2021 JK Tyre National Racing Championship.
But Erda wears multiple hats. Alongside her racing career, she’s also been a major advocate of nurturing female motorsport talent in India. She’s a representative in the FMSCI’s Grassroot commission, and through her association with Red Bull India and their various amateur karting tournaments, she’s been passing on her racing knowledge to upcoming racers.
She’s also set up her own Erda Racing training academy and karting team to help budding racers break through into the world of professional motorsport.
Shivani Pruthvi
Racing runs in Shivani Pruthvi’s blood. Her father, BS Pruthvi, is a veteran rally racer and her mother, Dr Deepti Pruthvi, has accompanied her as a co-driver in several events.
The motorsport bug bit her too, and after some encouragement from her father, she started competing in Autocross events at the age of 19. She made her track debut in the 2018 Volkswagen Ameo Cup. After that, she went on to win the print de Bengaluru, made her INRC debut at the 2019 South India Rally alongside her mother and even represented India at the 2019 Asia Auto Gymkhana Championship.
She enjoyed an eventful 2021, with outings in the JK Tyre Indian National Regularity Run Championship, the KMS50 endurance race at the Kari Motor Speedway and even the Rally of Himalayas. The latter was her first cross country rally with new co-driver Deeksha Balakrishna and the duo finished 3rd in the T1 X3 (1,350-1,850cc category), ninth overall and secured the Coup de Dames trophy, given to the all-women team that performs the best.
She’s back competing in the latest season of the INRC, driving a Honda City in the INRC3 and Junior INRC classes. For now, her main focus is to clinch the Junior INRC title this season. And she’s doing all of this while training to be a doctor; who said women can’t do it all?
Pragathi Gowda
Pragathi Gowda has already made a name for herself in the Indian rallying scene. After discovering her passion for both riding and driving at a young age, she started off her motorsport career in Autocross and quickly rose through the ranks to emerge as the top female driver at the 2019 Indian National Auto Gymkhana Championship.
The following year, she ventured into rallying, driving for the all-women Team Vasundhara. After collecting a handful of podiums in 2020, Gowda returns to the INRC this season, competing behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo in the INRC3 and Junior INRC classes. She was also one of the three winners of Formula Woman India and represented the country at the global finals in the UK.
Keen to expand her experience in all disciplines of racing, she now has her eyes on GT Cup racing after getting a brief taste of it during the Formula Woman selection process.
Deepa John
Along with Gulati and Gowda, Deepa John was also one of the three winners of Formula Woman India. The initiative was open to anyone with a genuine passion for racing (all applicants needed was a valid driver’s licence), giving emerging talent like John the chance to break through into the motorsport circuit.
Prior to this, she was rising through the ranks of the amateur karting scene, alongside participating in track days at the Madras Motor Race Track. She even finished third overall at the Erda’s Speedway Kartopen Racing Championship. And her passion for all things automotive isn’t just restricted to motorsport; she’s also an automobile engineer and is currently preparing to pursue higher studies in the field.
Having gained some more racing experience as part of the Formula Woman India selection rounds and the global finals, she’s now hoping to make the step up to single-seater racing.
Also see:
Formula Woman India explained: A shot at racing in the GT Cup