Band of Brothers
Rohit Nalawade
Sunday mornings in Mumbai seem to have a routine of their own. From the crack of dawn, you will hear high performance engines roaring to life. Late nights and the wee hours of morning are the only times one can actually head out for a drive to clear your head, and as Sunday approaches, every supercar owner in Mumbai is itching to go for a joyride before the city wakes up. But as these fast cars tear down the streets, a convoy of Mahindras makes its way towards South Mumbai in a straight line. They call themselves Terrain Conquerors, and they are one of the most inclusive communities you will find.
Vishal Sharma, founder of Terrain Conquerors, has a long-standing association with Mahindra. “My association with Mahindra & Mahindra has been since 2013 and my first Mahindra vehicle was a SsangYong Rexton. The association was deepened in 2020 with the launch of the then-new Mahindra Thar, and I managed to get one under the VIP category, right at the time of the SUV’s launch. This was also possible because one of my friends was an ex-Mahindra employee, and I was very overwhelmed by the gesture from the brand. In turn, I wanted to give back to Mahindra, so that's when I formed a community called Terrain Conquerors.” They started off with five members and today the forum has 377 members on board. “This is only Mumbai and Maharashtra. I also have a forum called Thar 2020 All India, where we have got people right from Jammu and Kashmir, down to Kerala.”
In the years since its inception, the community has opened up to include a greater variety of Thars, old and new. “We also have the Thar Roxx and the Thar RWD as part of the community,” the founder says. Vishal wanted to build a family of adventurers across the country. “The idea was that if I have to travel from Mumbai to any part of India, I know that I have my family living in different parts of different states when I'm travelling through them, so I can give them a call that I'm travelling, and in case anybody faces any problems or issues, we have a point of contact in that respective state – a brotherhood across the country.”
Terrain Conquerors have undertaken around 50 to 60 expeditions so far. “We also invite the Thar RWD owners; they drive up to certain points on the trail, and later hop into the 4x4s with us so that they don't miss the fun.” Vishal recalls a few memories from past expeditions, but during any emergency, the community never leaves a man or woman behind. “When we go on an expedition, we all go together and come back together, and once we reach home, we have to message that we have reached home safely so that we all have a peace of mind. Safety is our first criteria,” he says.
Vishal has been road tripping extensively in his six-year-old Thar, so much so that he has managed to surpass the kilometres put on the clocks of his thirteen-year-old Rexton! He is very keen on diversifying Terrain Conquerors, with a vision to attract 4x4 vehicles from other brands as well. By the time you’re reading this magazine, Vishal and the Terrain Conquerors have returned from two of their latest expeditions across India – one to Jaisalmer, followed by one to Spiti. And it always is a great sight to see these Mahindras roll back into Mumbai on their weekend joyrides after conquering terrain across the country – giving all those supercars in South Mumbai a run for their money!
