Don’t be an obstacle, be a facilitator: Mallya tells govt.

October 26, 2013 03:14 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 07:37 pm IST - Greater Noida

Vijay Mallya

Vijay Mallya

With Indian Grand Prix facing an uncertain future because of various reasons, including red-tapism at different levels, Sahara Force India team owner Vijay Mallya has asked the government of India to facilitate the event instead of becoming an obstacle.

The Indian GP is only three years old, but it has already been dropped from the 2014 Formula One calendar with two years of its contract still remaining.

Even though the race is expected to make a comeback to India in 2015, there are serious doubts about its continuation among motorsports fans because the Indian government doesn’t support the event.

“I will appeal to the government to see what goes on in other parts of the world where local governments actually support Formula One. But in India it is going to be very difficult to persuade the government because of the unique nature of the country and its problems,” Mr. Mallya, who himself is a Member of Parliament, said at the Buddh International Circuit here on Saturday.

“The government should not interfere or become an obstacle. The government should be a facilitator. If private enterprise is taking the responsibility of hosting Formula One event, the government should encourage it. The benefits of bringing Formula One to any country, including India are enormous. It provides visibility, exposure which translates into tourism,” he added.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.