Shimmering dust, shining lights, revving engines, and excited fans — not a handful, but 30,000 of them. If one was unaware of what was on display, it would have been challenging to discern that the event was unfolding in real-time, and not in a game; and that it was unfolding in Pune’s Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, not overseas.
The United States of America realised the need for a ‘Super Bowl’ version of motocross racing half a century ago, which led to the inception of Supercross — a stadium-friendly, spectator-focused variant of bike racing on dirt.
In India, though, it had remained an unknown commodity. That is, until last year. With the nascent spike in motorsport’s popularity across the nation, the Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) came into existence.
The Quint spoke with the founders and racers to learn more about its inception and future.
How ISRL Came Into Existence
Eeshan Lokhande, founder of the league, was on course to turn professional in tennis — until he happened to witness a race.
I went to watch one race, and that was it — I was hooked. The sport is so beautiful. I knew that was my moment to step into it, and I began racing professionally. As a rider, I always felt there was a deficit — something more that the sport needed. That’s when I decided we needed to do something bigger and better, not just for riders, but for the entire country. We wanted to welcome the world to our great nation through Supercross. That’s how the idea of a franchise-based Supercross League came about. We started working on it back in 2017, and last year, we finally launched our first season — with stadiums packed to the brim.Eeshan Lokhande, Director and Co-founder, Supercross India
An idea conceived in 2017 came to execution last year, across three venues, with thousands of fans turning up for what happens to be a rare opportunity to watch live, high-octane racing in the nation.
Season 1 was magnificent. We had three races — in Pune, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. We hosted the Pune event at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, and it was a sold-out stadium. Then we moved to Ahmedabad, to the EKA Arena — again, another full house. Across the three events, around 35,000 people came to watch the races during Season 1. Alongside that, we had live broadcasts. The idea was to take Supercross to every corner of the nation, and we ended up reaching 11.44 million viewers through OTT, digital, and live television. And this was just over three days of live broadcast!Eeshan Lokhande, Director and Co-founder, Supercross India
Global talent poured in — like world champion Jordi Tixier and nine-time Australian champion Matt Moss, who eventually went on to win the title. Salman Khan came on board as the face of the league.
Salman Khan being a part of ISRL is the perfect blend — he loves racing, he loves motorcycles, and he genuinely wants to do more with the sport. With him on board, I’m very sure we’ll take Supercross to places where people may not have even heard of it before.Eeshan Lokhande, Director and Co-founder, Supercross India
The bigger story, however, was not the collaboration with Khan, or the involvement of global stars like Tixier and Moss. Rather, it was how global motorsport took a local turn, for the first time in India.
Compared to the motorsport events people go overseas to watch, what we’re offering is just as thrilling — only it’s happening in your city, at your stadium. You get the best of the best racers, top-tier Indian talent, franchise teams, and a league format — all right here at home. This is what we stand for: a Made-in-India league, built for the world to participate in, for the country to enjoy, and for everyone to get excited about.Eeshan Lokhande, Director and Co-founder, Supercross India
Two Prodigies, One Dream — To Fly the Indian Flag
Among the top Indian riders who have been matching gazes with the international champions are 18-year-old prodigy Ikshan Shanbag, and a serial winner at the national circuits, 24-year-old Rugved Barguje.
The former, who hails from a family of racers, has been ‘flirting’ with dirt and danger for as long as he can remember.
I’ve been riding since I was five. In the beginning, it was just for fun. But as time went on, I told my dad that I really wanted to be a professional racer. I’ve always been a huge Valentino Rossi fan. I love the intensity, the thrill of the jumps, being in the air. I started winning a lot of races. Honestly, I never thought racing would turn into a career — it was just something I did for fun. But as I kept winning, things started to shift. One day, I saw the TVS Factory Racing team, and it instantly became a dream — I wanted to be a factory rider. I think that's a goal in every racer's mind — the setup, the bikes, the level of the team, it’s all next level. And somewhere along the way, without even realising it, that fun turned into professionalism.Ikshan Shanbag, Indian racer
For Rugved, the love for racing was borne out of the urge to be unique, and do what not many of his age did.
I always wanted to be different. A lot of people play cricket or football, but Supercross was something not many people were doing — and not everyone is ready to take that kind of risk. For me, it eventually turned into a career when I started winning, one race after another. Right now, I’m a seven-time national Supercross champion. Since I was very young, I’ve always been competitive. I remember my first podium — I finished second. It felt amazing because it was my first, but deep down, I knew I could do better. I wanted to be a better version of myself. From that moment on, I kept pushing myself. And honestly, that push — that drive to improve — became fun. Every time I got on the track, I focused on becoming better. Over time, that mindset naturally turned into my profession.Rugved Barguje, Indian racer
Harbouring the audacious dream of being called the world champion one day — and not just the Indian champion — Rugved expresses his gratitude towards the sport.
Supercross has really given me a big name in the industry. At my age, most of my friends are busy partying or just hanging out, but I feel this sense of responsibility. I know I have something to achieve, and I need to stay dedicated to the sport. When you're out on that track, riding in front of 30,000 fans and competing with the best riders in the country — you don’t want to let yourself down, or your country.Rugved Barguje, Indian racer
Ikshan echoes similar sentiments.
30,000 people in the stadium and 10 million watching on stream — how many 18-year-olds get to experience that? It’s an unreal feeling. You’re on the start line, the fans are cheering, the bikes are revving, and you’re just there — ready to rock and roll. The energy is electric. Hopefully, we will see more and more youngsters picking up this sport.Ikshan Shanbag, Indian racer
The Way Ahead
The audience engagement from Season 1 was a clear indicator of India having an appetite for motorsports, believes Lokhande.
The way the country has been developing over the last decade, there’s clearly a growing appetite — for adventure, for excitement, for entertainment, and for things that are out of the box. That’s where motorsport fits in perfectly. The adventure motorcycling community alone is growing at nearly 14% year-on-year. This is truly motorsport’s moment. The next 10 years are going to be beautiful for the sport, because now there’s an audience in India that follows motorsports with dedication across various formats.Eeshan Lokhande, Director and Co-founder, Supercross India
His long-term goal, now, is simple.
We want to see Supercross become a mainstream sport — something people watch regularly, something that becomes a household name. We know it’ll take time, but the goal is clear. Within the next 5 to 8 years, we want Supercross to be positioned among the top four or five sports leagues in India.Eeshan Lokhande, Director and Co-founder, Supercross India
As for the immediate targets, he wants the second season — which will commence in October — to be an elevated version of the first.
Everything is going to be a level up in Season 2. We're realistically targeting over 20 million viewers on TV, and we’re confident of achieving that. We’re heading to new locations — Hyderabad is one of them — while Ahmedabad and Pune will return as hosts. And we’re quite certain these stadiums will be houseful again. This time, it’s not just about one day of racing. Each city will have a full weekend of action — Saturday and Sunday — with fan parks, engagement zones, community activities, meet-and-greets, and exclusive access. And of course, you’ll witness the fastest racing India has ever seen.Eeshan Lokhande, Director and Co-founder, Supercross India