I am 68 years old and was born in Pune. My father was an Indian Army Officer, and a gas station he set up as part of a resettlement project in the 1970s would, in time, grow into a single-handed venture of repairing modern-day automobiles and restoring vintage cars from scratch — a hobby that became my life's work.

Academically, I am a commerce graduate from Hindu College, University of Delhi. But long before any degree found its way to me, I had already begun tinkering with cars of all shapes, sizes, and makes — driven by a passion I could never quite put into words.

The joy of bringing veteran and vintage cars back to life from a bygone era has always drawn me in. The history and the stories that lie behind these machines have never failed to intrigue me, in more ways than I can count. I count myself fortunate that my career and my passion intertwined by a quirk of fate — my professional skills, paired with an intimate knowledge of these automobiles, led to my selection to the panel of judges for The Statesman Vintage & Classic Car Rally, an annual event held in New Delhi since 1960.