Zip, zap, zoom...

Given the growing interest, a Formula One grid may not be a distant dream for India after all.

Ernie Becclestone's recent comments about his dream of having a Formula One grid in India might take a few years to materialise but interest in motorsports has definitely seen a rise. Narain Karthikeyan's uneventful one-year stint at Formula has encouraged (and given hope) to people involved with the sport.

When Karthikeyan entered the sport, he had the backing of sponsors like Tata Motors and BPCL and it is a known fact that without a good sponsor, it is practically impossible to have a future in the sport. So, what future does this sport hold in India?

Big names like Maruti, Tata, JK Tyres, MRF, Bharat Petroleum and Castrol have been pumping in money to develop motorsports at the grassroots level. The UB group too has been actively working at developing the sport.

The rising interest in the sport can be gauged from the fact that the national rallying championships organised by Maruti (four, so far) have seen a steady increase in participation. From about 40 participants in the first year, the number of participants has gone up to somewhere close to 300.

Says Shashi Kapoor, divisional manager, Maruti, "The interest in the sport is really hotting up and we have been doing our bit to maintain that interest for over five years now."

JK Tyres has been working on developing go-karting and even played a key role in Karthikeyan's rise in Formula One. Karting is a developing leisure sport and the stepping stone for motor racing. Young drivers like Armaan Ebrahim, Karun Chandhok, Hari Singh have been doing well at the Formula 3 and other related events.

The market for Formula One stands close to Rs 40 crore and has almost doubled in the last three years or so. It is a complicated sport "" one that cannot thrive without the support of the corporates.

JK Tyres has spent close to Rs 50 crore for developing the sport in the last decade, and that includes organising karting and rallying events.

While two-wheeler racing still has a long way to go, the four-wheeler category has seen a lot of improvement in the last couple of years and the onus for it goes a lot to Karthikeyan.

"It gave corporates the reassurance that Indians too can compete at the highest level and since then the sport has seen a major surge," says a JK Tyres official.

Formula One viewership is also on a high and it is considered to be the second most watched sport in India. "We definitely have the talent to conquer international frontiers. It is with this thought that Maruti Suzuki has decided to enhance the support further," adds Kapoor.

26-year-old Ayan Banerjee, who started watching F-1 after Karthikeyan got into it, wonders what he was doing all this time. "I regret not getting interested in this sport earlier." If only some corporates would echo his views!