Indu Chandhok, the doyen of Indian motorsport, with which he was actively associated for over six decades, passed away on Saturday. He was 93.
Born in Kolkata on July 22, 1931, and then moving to Chennai (erstwhile Madras) in 1932, Chandhok was one of the founder-members of the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) in 1953 and later the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) in 1971, of which he was also the president during 1978-79.
He was an integral part of the Trust that purchased and developed the Madras International Circuit (erstwhile Madras Motor Race Track) at Irungattkottai, near Sriperumbudur.
He passed on his motorsports genes to his son Vicky, a former National rally champion, and grandson Karun, India’s second Formula One driver after Narain Karthikeyan, who is now a well-known race commentator and analyst.
Vicky, the MMSC vice-president, said: “The patriarch of the Chandhok family passed away in his sleep this morning. In a way, he was also the patriarch of Indian motorsports who saw the big picture with a clear vision for the growth of the sport. The family and the motorsports fraternity will miss him.”
Indu Chandhok
Published - December 07, 2024 05:36 pm IST
