Head for business

Bikers Hareesh S. Nair and Rakhin Rama turned their backs on the corporate world to follow their heart and opened an outlet for helmets and riding accessories in the city

January 29, 2014 05:35 pm | Updated May 13, 2016 01:08 pm IST - Thiruvananthapuram

Hareesh S. Nair (left) and Rakhin Rama of The Helmet World.

Hareesh S. Nair (left) and Rakhin Rama of The Helmet World.

More and more people are leaving behind their comfortable desk jobs and astronomical salaries to choose alternate careers that go hand-in-hand with their dreams. Hareesh S. Nair and Rakhin Rama are two examples. After a long stint in the corporate world, the duo has launched their maiden venture ‘The Helmet World’ – a showroom that provides a wide gamut of riding accessories, including helmets, jackets and gloves, for two-wheeler enthusiasts.

Four months after its launch, the showroom is now abuzz with biking aficionados from across the city. “The Helmet World was born from our overwhelming passion for motorbikes and travel. Both of us had enough of our routine day jobs. We were yearning to do something of our own. Being bikers ourselves, we had often felt the lack of quality shops selling exclusive biking accessories in the city. This helped us zero in on the idea of a unique store that caters to all two-wheeler enthusiasts by providing the accessories,” says Hareesh, an engineering graduate, who was formerly working in the United Kingdom with an MNC.

More than a showroom for helmets and other biking accessories, The Helmet World is a common meeting point for biking enthusiasts of all ages, says Rakhin, an MBA graduate who was working in the telecom industry. “As the name suggests, helmets occupy centrestage at the shop. We provide ample varieties of helmets, including imported and premium products, for all age groups. The idea is to add a personal touch to each purchase,” he adds.

The showroom even has specially designed helmets for children – perhaps the first-of-its-kind to be made available in the city. Also, there is a separate helmet section for women. “These helmets are light weight and come in different colours,” says Rakhin.

Hareesh and Rakhin also work hard to spread the message of road safety through their venture. “One fact that concerns us is the proliferation of unsafe helmets – something that we endeavour to wipe out from the market. “Wearing cheap and unsafe helmets, that is products that are often styled like bicycle helmets offering little or no protection, are as good as not wearing one at all. Not only do we avoid stocking such products, but we also guide our customers to make the right choice when it comes to choosing a helmet, for it is literally a question of their own lives,” says Hareesh.

They have also tied up with many biking clubs in the city to conduct road safety programmes to spread awareness about safe riding habits. They also request the State Government to withdraw the tax on helmets. “Currently the state levies 14.5% Value Added Tax on helmets. Helmets are no longer a luxury, they have become a necessity, especially with the police enforcing its use. We strongly feel that this tax must be abolished, so that more and more people can afford quality helmets,” opines Rakhin.

The Helmet World is located on the Museum-Nanthencode road, near the LMS junction Contact: 9995921314 or 9995557766.

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