Second coordination meeting for Supercar Rally in Sikkim

ISABELLA GURUNG

GANGTOK,: A week before the much-awaited ‘The Supercar Route – The East Himalayan Roar chapter’, the second coordination meeting was chaired by Gangtok DC Tushar G. Nikhare at the District Administration Centre (DAC) here on Friday.

The meeting was initiated by Chief Minister’s Additional Political Secretary (Gangtok) Tshering Wangchuk Lepcha, and co-chaired by SIMFED chairperson Tenzing Dorjee Bhutia, IPR department chairperson Ashit Rai, and SP Mahendra Subba. The meeting had representatives from the Indian Army, Sikkim Police, Traffic Police, Culture and Tourism departments, NHIDCL, SAMSA, Car Culture Sikkim, Dirty Angels Motorcycle Club, Brothers, and other stakeholders.

Organised by the Mumbai-based Supercar Route group, the event is supported by the Black Cat Division under the aegis of the Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army and the Government of Sikkim. Support from the Army aligns with the objectives of Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan, a national programme developed by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, aimed at providing citizens access to India’s historic battlefields and military heritage locations.

 One of the prominent highlights of the rally route will be the transit through Cho La Pass, located at 5,420 metres (17,782 ft), recognised both for its strategic role during the 1967 Indo-China skirmishes and for its picturesque alpine terrain.

“Between December 12 and 15, the Supercar Rally in Sikkim is planned by the Government of Sikkim in collaboration with the Trishakti Corps. The main aim of today’s coordination meeting was to understand the responsibilities of the concerned line departments and organisers. We had the distinguished presence from NHIDCL from West Bengal too. We have requested 7-8 locations in West Bengal, as clearance of supercars is important and roads need to be in good condition. We have also requested NHIDCL in Rangpo for clearance of roads on the Sikkim side, so that the roads are up to standard,” expressed DC Nikhare to SIKKIM EXPRESS.

On behalf of the State government and DAC, the DC has urged the public to take this initiative in a positive spirit as everyone involved has been working hard to make the event a major success.

“Take this as a way to promote Sikkim in a much better manner. Chief Minister PS Golay as well as the DAC has always worked for the benefit of the Sikkimese. Come in large numbers to support the event. The team from Mumbai has been coming at their own expense and the State government has not given any funds for the event. Sikkim is only promoting the event as luxury tourism. Let’s give a positive message to the Mumbai team that Sikkim is safe for luxury cars to travel. The roads that are bad, DAC and NHIDCL have been working on them, not just for supercars but for regular tourists too, and to ensure traffic flows smoothly. We also want to promote Sikkim on a global scale as a safe tourism destination,” he added.

Regarding certain comments on social media regarding the supercar rally, Nikhare said, “The State government is aware of many things, and supercars are not the only priority. This event is not coming at the cost of other priorities. This is also one of the events to boost luxury tourism, and if this event is a success then obviously there will be positive fallouts. We are cognisant of the problems faced by people, and efforts are being made by the State government too.”

Scheduled from December 11-15, the event will bring 18 high-performance cars, including Lamborghinis, Porsches, AMG GTs and Audi R8s, to Nathu La, Cho La and Gnathang Valley, marking an unprecedented moment in Sikkim’s tourism and motorsport landscape, blending luxury tourism, patriotism and adventure.

11 GR 2nd-in-command Major Ashish informed that the rally will be flagged off from Sukna, West Bengal early in the morning. The main event, starting from December 12, will reach Atal Setu Bridge, Rangpo by 8 am and will be flagged off by the Tourism minister and Area MLA for Gangtok. From Gangtok, the rally will be flagged off to Cho La and border regions in East Sikkim. The Mumbai team will return to Siliguri on December 15.

The Additional Political Secretary shared details of the activities planned during the programme on behalf of the State, adding that the successful conduct of the rally will serve as a flagship example of civil–military engagement, paving the way for further cooperation in the future.

“On the evening of December 12, 3-4 supercars will be displayed for the public near the Control Room, MG Marg. The event will be followed by a cultural display organised by the Culture department in collaboration with the Organisation of Musicians and Artistes (OMAS),” informed Tshering Wangchuk.

In his concluding remarks, Chief Minister’s OSD Rewaj Chettri thanked all participating agencies and expressed confidence that the rally would enhance Sikkim’s tourism profile by showcasing its scenic and strategic landscapes. He stated that the event will not only generate positive national and international visibility but will also highlight the natural beauty of Sikkim, reinforcing its position as a unique and aspirational destination.

As part of the proceedings, the official poster of the Supercar Rally was launched by the dignitaries, marking the commencement of public outreach and promotional activities for the event.

The convoy includes 13 Porsche 911, one BMW M4, one Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S, one Lamborghini Huracán Performante, one Lamborghini Tecnica, and one Audi R8.

SIKKIM EXPRESS is the media partner.