Making of indigenous Beast: Indian Limousine for President

AHMEDABAD: For many heads of state, their preferred ride not only reflects their status but also their country’s automobile prowess.
Even before US President Donald Trump visits the city, his land and aerial transport are in the news. That was the genesis of the ambitious Presidential Limousine project initiated by Kunal Kashyap, a second-year transportation and automobile design (TAD) student of NID Gandhinagar.
“We wanted automobile design philosophy rooted in India and thus Tata was a natural choice,” said Kashyap, who along with the NID team had showcased the scale model for Tata Garuda, the name of the limo given by him, at Auto Expo 2020 recently.“We got inspiration from its newer Impact 2.0 designs with the slingshot line — running from the hood and wrapping around the entire profile before coming back — and split headlamps,” Kashyap said.
The team members said that the wheels for the president should have gravitas and road presence befitting the presidential stature while ensuring safety and stability.
Kashyap added that the ‘Indianness’ of the limo, envisioned in midnight blue, is also reflected in interiors. “We chose tussar silk which is tear-proof, instead of leather for upholstery. Another material we chose is transparent wood,” said Kashyap. He said that the response from experts including Pratap Bose, the vice-president of global design at Tata Motors and an NID alumnus, is encouraging.
Other concepts also steal the show: Regin Muralidharan, another student, displayed the concept of Mahindra Rath — a three-seater luxury SUV — taking inspiration from the temple rath. Harris Raju has conceived of a futuristic flying pod for 2040 India. Sandeep Jena, their teammate, presented the concept of Mazda Tamashi, a hypercar for the LeMans race. “We had designed a VR experience. Thus, it was a double challenge to provide a 1:1 scale experience to visitors,” he said.