62-year old Thomas Chacko completes 78-days all-India driving expedition in a Tata Nano

Back in May 2012, we had reported about a young-at-heart 62-year old, kochi-based motoring enthusiast, Thomas Chacko who set out on an all-India roadtrip in a Tata Nano, which was flagged off in Mumbai on May 3, 2012.

78 days and over 26,500 kms later, Mr Chacko has successfully completed the long expedition on July 21, 2012 driving through all of India's state capitals and its union territories, covering over 100 towns and cities across the country. 

Mr Chacko in his long dream project drove the Tata Nano to India's farthest reaches such as Tawang in the East, Kanyakumari in the South, Dwarka in the West and Kargil in the North. The hard core motoring enthusiast even acclaimed the highest motorable road in the world at 18,380 feet - Khardung La and also conquered the Tanglang La - the second highest motorable road in the world.  He also drove to Nagpur, the geographical center of India and to the mountainous country of Bhutan.

On concluding his journey, Thomas Chacko said, “I chose the Tata Nano for this journey because it is the car that has put India on the world motoring map. It also has very good ground clearance and climbs well. The journey was not a joyride but an expedition to explore the country and know the people. The 78-day all India drive has tested the Nano across the some of the most rugged terrains of the country and through all kinds of weather. The car emerged successful in this test of endurance. 

“The Nano is a dream project. It is every person’s aspiration to own a car and the Nano fulfills this dream. In a way, this small wonder has fulfilled my dream to explore India. This journey has indeed been an achievement and a book is very much on the cards. It would perhaps be named Mano et Nano: India to its farthest reaches”, he added.