Editor's note: This interview was originally published in 2012. Market conditions have evolved, but the insights on building India's adventure sports retail sector remain valuable.
Ashish Bahl, the man who gave India its first dedicated adventure sports store, speaks to Holiday Home Times in an exclusive interview about his love for ATVs and dirt bikes and about his company, Adventure Wheels, which he founded to give adventure enthusiasts easy access to all-terrain vehicles, high-speed modelling cars, and even monster trucks.
The Interview
Tell us in brief about yourself and your company.
Adventure Wheels started operations in November 2007. Our showroom in Gurgaon is India's first All Terrain Vehicle and hobby store, aimed at bringing the adrenaline to the junkies. The showroom today offers the best of ATVs for all ages and also well-known brands such as Tamiya from Japan for hobby enthusiasts and Fox Racing riding gear from the USA. Thrill-seekers can get themselves all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), dirt bikes and remote-controlled cars, whereas those with modelling at heart can buy high-speed modelling cars, tanks, monster trucks and even fighter jets.
I, along with a small team, started the company with only one thing in mind — adventure on wheels. I am a mechanical engineer by profession, but above all an adventure sports lover by heart, which inspired me to start the company.
The main motive of the company in general and our showroom in particular was to give enthusiasts easy access to world-class gear, something that has been lacking in the country for long. Earlier, adventure sports enthusiasts had to rely on imports to get an ATV without actually getting to check their quality, and that too at a much higher cost. But being an adventure sports junkie myself, our company gives great importance to the end-user's experience. At Adventure Wheels, one can buy the product after verifying its quality. Today we are the customers' first choice because we offer a huge selection, great prices and above all the convenience of Adventure Wheels' unique shopping experience.
Are these vehicles readily available?
Yes, most of the models are available off-the-shelf.
Does one need to register the ATV with the local RTO?
No, ATVs don't require any kind of registration from the local RTO as these vehicles are only meant for off-road sports or recreational use. So buyers should also keep in mind that these vehicles are not meant for road use and should not be driven on any public roads. These are specifically off-road use vehicles.
Tell us about your range of ATVs.
We have ATVs from 50cc for kids to 800cc for adults. We have both sports and utility options available in different models. Our most sought-after range covers ATVs of: 50cc, 110cc, 150cc, 200cc, 300cc 4x4, 400cc 4x4, 500cc 4x4, 700cc 4x4, and 800cc 4x4.
Who is the manufacturer of these ATVs?
We have our OEM partners both in Taiwan and China.
Please tell us about the models you have and their specifications.
We have two series of ATVs — the Viper Series Sports ATVs and the Blade Series Utility ATVs. Some of the vehicles in the Viper Series are for kids, while the entire Blade Series is designed for adults.
What is the price range of these vehicles?
The price range starts from Rs. 65,000 for a kids' 50cc ATV to Rs. 8,50,000 for an 800cc 4x4 full-size ATV.
Tell us about the fuel used and the ATVs' efficiency.
All ATVs run on petrol and their efficiencies vary as per their engine size. For example, a 50cc would deliver 30–35 kilometres per litre, whereas an 800cc would return 12–15 kilometres per litre.
Do you have a sales network?
Our dealer network spreads from Himachal Pradesh to Cochin, and from Kutch to Imphal. All our dealers are equipped to give good service back-up at all times and are stocked with spare parts. However, if an authorised Adventure Wheels agent is not available in your city, one can contact us and we will deliver the vehicle to your doorstep.
What about service stations?
We have a full-fledged service centre at our head office. Primarily we carry out on-site service at the customer's location anywhere in the country.
Are spare parts readily available?
Absolutely. We stock all major consumable parts at all times.
Have you seen any buyers of ATVs in the hospitality industry?
Yes, some of the best resorts and entertainment companies across the country have our ATVs. Two reasons why they rely on our vehicles: first, we have a wide range of vehicles that suit the needs of all age groups; and second, the products we sell are durable, carry long warranties, and have minimal defects. Beyond this, we have also set up a dealer network with people who are adventure-oriented and ready to provide good service support at all times.
Adventure Tourism in India: A Sector That Has Transformed
When Ashish Bahl launched Adventure Wheels in 2007, the concept of a dedicated adventure sports retail store was almost entirely novel in the Indian market. More than a decade and a half later, the adventure tourism and outdoor recreation sector in India has undergone a transformation that he — and few others at the time — could have fully anticipated.
India's adventure tourism sector has grown approximately four-fold since 2012 and is now estimated to be worth over ₹50,000 crore, encompassing everything from white-water rafting and paragliding in the Himalayas to off-road driving experiences in Rajasthan and jungle safaris in Central India. The sector benefits from a young, aspirational domestic population, a growing middle class with disposable income and a desire for experiential travel, and significantly improved road infrastructure that has opened up adventure destinations previously accessible only to the most committed travellers.
The pandemic era, paradoxically, proved something of an accelerant for domestic adventure tourism. International travel restrictions redirected enormous amounts of holiday spending toward destinations within India, and a meaningful portion of that found its way into adventure experiences. Mountains, forests, rivers, and coastlines that had long been known to a niche community of enthusiasts were suddenly discovered by mainstream urban travellers. Many of those new converts have maintained their interest, providing a sustained boost to operators and equipment retailers alike.
The ATV and off-road vehicle market has been a particular beneficiary of this trend. Resorts across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Goa have invested heavily in fleet expansion. Corporate team-building programmes routinely incorporate ATV experiences. And individual buyers — particularly those in the second-home and farmhouse market — increasingly see an ATV as a natural accompaniment to a rural property, useful for estate management as much as for recreation.
Adventure Wheels, as one of the pioneering companies in this space, occupies an enviable position in a market that has grown up around the category it helped to create.