ROADS OF PROGRESS

The Automotive Journalist Association of India (AJAI) in collaboration with Mahindra bring forth the incredible development story of India's road infrastructure as Rahul Ghosh drives the Scorpio-N along the iconic Srinagar-Leh highway.

- Rahul Ghosh

There is something divine about travelling. But then, there was a time when travelling meant involving the railways or catching a flight. But all that has changed in the recent past. The road network across the country has become so much better that people are now heading out on the highways with family and friends.

To bring forward this incredible development, the Automotive Journalists Association of India or AJAI teamed up with Mahindra to showcase the 'Roads of Progress' via the Bharat Drive. Joining hands with us for this journey is JK Tyre. A convoy of Mahindra Scorpio-Ns then were flagged off from Mahindra's Mumbai facility and each crew headed across the country to showcase the freedom associated with road travel. Auto Today joined the convoy in Srinagar and headed out towards Leh, a dream destination for millions.

We were heading out from Delhi that was reeling under an intense heat wave. A short flight later we were greeted by our convoy of Scorpio-Ns at Srinagar airport. The Big Daddy of SUVS stood gleaming in the sunlight as we loaded up. The boot of the Scorpio-Ns were already loaded up with camera equipment and all, but it still had space for our luggage. We cruised out of the city with the infotainment system playing out the route via Android Auto. Within no time we were on the highways outside the city and big wide roads meant that we could cruise comfortably heading out towards Sonamarg. The roads all along were well-paved stretches of tarmac and the surroundings were nothing short of breathtakingly beautiful.

The iconic Chinar trees lined the roads with glimpses of the river every now and then. We even stopped by to pick up fresh cherries from local orchards and that's something we highly recommend. Encountering heavy traffic was a sign that Sonamarg was approaching.