Campaign Planning Avijit Lahiri | Words Shiv Arora | Photos Rajeev Bhendwal
After having completed the first leg of the trucking journey through central India, the team of the Go Extra campaign now turned towards South India, enjoying historical monuments of ancient cities, tucking into local delicacies, having great interactions with fleet owners, mechanics and garage owners, and then finally spending quality time on the Marina Beach in Chennai. Read on to know more about this adventure
If you may recall, our earlier ‘Go Extra’ narrative in our edition last month ended with us travelling on the Gwalior-Indore highway. Next up, early morning on February 5, 2021, we reached Indore. The city is famous for its traditions and of course the snack ‘poha’, which we relished with hot tea. Having taken care of breakfast, we reached our hotel for some much-required rest. In the evening we went out to explore the nearby areas and reached Sarafa Bazar where we tried out one more speciality of the city, Joshi’s Flying Dahi Bhalla. It’s actually famous because of the way he prepares it but the taste was awesome too. Dinner was in an excellent restaurant and it was then back to the hotel for some sound sleep.
The next day, at around 10 am, we left for our event at Indore’s transport hub. There we met C L Mukati, President of the Indore Transport Association. We got to know that people there are quite interested in our partner brands, especially Excelite, the product of DH Lighting India. N Nagar, Ashok Leyland’s representative, told us that the attraction was always for vehicles that provide good mileage. We then left for our next destination, Ujjain, known for its Mahakaleshwar Mandir as also its many other temples. It was only 4 am and I and my colleague decided to pay our respects at the temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva – a good decision since there was no crowd at that early hour.
Then at 10 am we left Ujjain for our next stop, Mahidpur, at a distance of 21.6 miles. Here we made our way to the city’s transport hub where we had an interaction with Mujaid Nagori, President, Mahidpur Truck Operator Union. We carried out all our activities, including games, interviews, meetings and chats with fleet owners, operators and mechanics. That same evening we left for Nagpur. We decided to travel overnight, having our dinner at a highway ‘dhaba’ where a cheerful party seemed to be in progress. We also came across a huge bull here which reminded us of the Spanish sport of bullfighting. Early morning we visited a beautiful lake near Betul. It was so mesmerizing and the vibes so soothing.
A small incident that happened on the highway was that we were stopped by an RTO team that demanded a permit which we did not have in our possession. We then had to explain to them that we were on a non-commercial campaigning trip to bring about a change in the driver community and to make their life easier and better. Convinced that our mission was an honourable one, they allowed us to proceed, wishing us good luck for the way ahead. We checked into a hotel at 7 pm, went out for dinner and then had a good night’s rest. At 10 am the next morning we reached the transport hub of Nagpur. As usual we begin with our event with some games and fun activities and a live product demonstration for our partners.
We met up with President Sudhir Kapse and Vice President Nagaroo Wagh of the Trailer Transport Association. They shared with us the problems they have been facing with the rising price of diesel. According to Kapse, the price should be fixed or should be uniform as sudden variations create business problems. Overall they were really happy with the Go Extra campaign and wished us good luck. On our second day in Nagpur, we met Maan Singh, President, Nagpur Transport Union. We had a discussion with him about our campaign. Our event was followed by lunch at Kappe da Dhaba where we had absolutely delicious ‘daal’ made Nagpuri style. Then we started on another long journey to cover a distance of around 500 km to Hyderabad from Nagpur.
This ride was quite unique because we decided to cook our own dinner en route, which was undertaken by our driver Sukhpal and some of us. It was done near a petrol pump on the Nagpur-Hyderabad highway. We were carrying vegetables, flour and a gas stove with us. The feeling of eating food cooked by our own selves was certainly great. It also provided us insights about how drivers manage on long journeys when no readymade meals are available. We reached Hyderabad by noon the next day. Our first visit was to the Ashok Leyland workshop for a truck check-up following which we went to our hotel at LB Nagar. This was our day of rest and so in the evening we decided to visit the city’s most attractive historical monument, the Charminar.
The landmark has become known globally as a symbol of Hyderabad and is listed among the most recognised structures in India. The surrounding Laad Bazaar and the 400-year-old mosque on the top floor of Charminar make it a famous site. We then tucked into Shadab Hotel’s famous chicken biryani, which of course is a quintessential meal if you visit this city. The next morning saw us back on the campaign trail and we met Ashok Leyland’s Divisional Head Neeraj Nirantar as well as Diwakar Reddy who manages the South II zone. Jamna Auto Industries, our suspension partner, has a good hold in every city and Hyderabad was no different. A brand more than 60 years old, it is globally renowned for manufacturing papered leaf and parabolic springs.
Then in the evening at around 6 pm we left for South India. Our first destination in this region was Vijayawada, which we reached at 3 am. Next day, at 10 am we headed towards the event location. In Vijayawada, our brand representatives and audience were so eager and excited to welcome us. The event witnessed participation from all with particular interest expressed in our partners’ products. Overall we had a great day at Vijayawada. On Sunday, February 14, which was Valentine’s Day, we visited one of the most famous temples in Vijayawada, the Kanaka Durga Mandir. It is situated on the banks of river Krishna. This holy shrine of Goddess Durga has a ‘swayambhu’ idol and is the second-largest temple in Andhra Pradesh.
The enchanting four feet high icon of the deity is bedecked in glittering ornaments and bright flowers. Her icon here depicts an eight-armed form, each holding a powerful weapon, in a standing posture over the demon Mahishashura and piercing him with her trident. On Monday we had an event at Gudivada. We began with the event at 4 pm as people living in that area prefer to have a quick nap just after lunch. In the meantime, we enjoyed delicious biryani with local flavours. The event went well. We later met up with the president of the local transport association and our discussion on various matters proved to be very informative. Then we headed towards Guntur. It was at a distance of about 38 km by road from Vijayawada.
It was a beautiful location and we set up our event between huge rocks. It looked so astonishing. The heat was at its peak, however. On successful completion of the event we hit the road again, heading towards Nellore. It was more than 200 km of travel from Guntur and took us about four hours. A road trip comes with its own enjoyment and a long drive is a refreshing experience indeed! We finally reached Nellore where on the morning of February 17 we held our event with participants exhibiting great zeal and enthusiasm. It was now time for the next leg, which was Chennai at a distance of 175 km. Midway we halted at a traditional restaurant. There the food was served on a banana leaf and we enjoyed eating it with bare hands. Also, the face of our campaign, AVTR, was looking a bit dusted and so we got it washed at the nearest garage. The truck was back to looking glorious and attractive in its pure red branding.
We reached Chennai – the gateway of South India – at around 8 pm. The city has a distinctive fragrance of culture, coffee and coast. We checked into a hotel by 8:45 pm. One of the main persons behind the Go Extra campaign, Balasubramanian, Executive Editor, MOTORINDIA, welcomed us with a wide smile. As it was almost 9 pm, he took us to a fine restaurant for dinner. The next day, on February 18, early morning at 7 am we all got dressed up in a green colour T-shirt sporting the MOTORINDIA logo. Bala joined us at the event location and arranged breakfast for all of us. As Chennai is the main headquarters of MOTORINDIA we got the opportunity to meet the core team of the publication, including R Natarajan, Editor & Publisher. A humble and sweet person, the way he delivered and expressed his thoughts was astounding.
The day began with the welcome ceremony of our dignitaries, which was followed by a magic show by our team member M Yogesh, who is also an expert at arranging games. It left the audience spellbound. Overall, the event was amazing. It is rightly said that what goes well ends well. Bala then asked us what we would prefer for lunch and took us to a restaurant that served good, authentic Punjabi food. It was then back to the hotel for some rest. The second day was followed by the same routine but it was a special day because we were going to meet two significant personalities – K Mohan, National Head Sales, Ashok Leyland and A N Sivaramakrishnan, Senior VP and National Head Sales and Services, T V Sundaram Iyenger and Sons at the event location.
The event took place at the location of TVS-Ashok Leyland Poonamallee. All the partner brands were so glad to showcase their products to the mechanics and engineers of the workshop. Chennai was a little relaxing because after completing the activities on the second day in Poonamallee, we all visited India’s finest and magnificent Marina Beach. Also, our driver, Sukhpal, had a desire to visit the beach and so it became a special outing for all of us. He had never been to a beach before. It turned out be a great picnic on the golden sands of the beach with the wind and the waves putting us into an excellent mood. We even took a boat ride. The evening was also made enjoyable due to the variety of seafood snacks available on the beach. Tune in for the rest of our journey in the next issue!
