THE GREAT Indian ADVENTURE

INDIA OFFERS A RANGE OF THRILLS: TRY A BUNGEE JUMP FROM A CLIFF IN UTTARAKHAND, SKYDIVE IN HARYANA, OR SCUBA DIVE IN THE CERULEAN WATERS OF THE ANDAMANS. LEARN ABOUT THE COUNTRY’S MANY WILD AND ELECTRIFYING OFFERINGS FROM 20 DAREDEVILS WHO ARE CHARTING THE COURSE OF ADVENTURE TOURISM IN INDIA.

- SUSHMITA SRIVASTAV & RASHIMA NAGPAL

RUDRA BHANU SOLANKI

CEO & Founder, SkyHigh India

Rudra Bhanu Solanki dreamed of jumping from a plane and flying like a bird since he was a kid. And this dream came true when he flew to Arizona in 2012 for his first skydive. Although elated by the experience, he was also bothered by the fact that he couldn’t do it more often—back in India. So, the 21-year-old took it upon himself to launch SkyHigh India, the country’s only operational skydiving drop zone affiliated with the United States Parachuting Association (USPA) and recognised by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It is currently located at the Narnaul airstrip in Haryana, two hours away from Delhi, and has pulled off more than 1,000 civilian jumps, 790 hours of flying, and over 500 minutes of free fall in just four years of operation. Post the lockdown, the zone has now reopened with all the recommended safety measures in place. “The peak of the pandemic arrived during our offseason. With multiple COVID-19 protocols in place, we resumed dives in September. Our equipment, licensing, and SOPs are certified by USPA and match global standards,” says Solanki, who has completed 250 jumps across 10 drop zones around the world so far. skyhighindia.com

OKEN TAYENG

Founder, Abor Country Travels & Expeditions