Mumbai, November 6, 2003: The Tata Indicom 'Spirit of Adventure' expedition, an Indian road odyssey, covering over 15,000 km and all the Indian states, was flagged off in Mumbai. The 'Spirit of Adventure' team comprises two intrepid adventurers employed with the Tata Indicom Enterprise Business Unit (TIEBU), who have ventured out to traverse the 15,000 km stretch across the length and breadth of India in an ambitious twenty-two day timeframe. This record-breaking drive will see the two-member team of Roy Chacko and Jikku Joseph passing through all 29 state capitals.

The Tata Indicom Spirit of Adventure was flagged off around 1:00 p. m. on November 6, 2003 by Narain Karthikeyan and T. R. Doongaji, managing director, Tata Services. Also present on the occasion were Ajay Pandey, president, TIEBU and other senior officials from the company.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Doongaji said, "The 'Spirit of Adventure' is a positive reaffirmation of the Tata ethos of enabling its stakeholders to realise dreams and fulfill ambitions. No less a personage than Mahatma Gandhi recognised and stated that the Tata’s represent the spirit of adventure. The expedition is a salute and a tribute to all the Tata luminaries who have created records and set benchmarks in their individual fields of operation over the past 130 years."

Roy and Jikku aim at covering the 15,000 km drive across India in a period of 22 days and have charted out an elaborate course which will see them spending more time over the next 20 days inside the Tata Safari, their chosen vehicle for the Indian odyssey, than outside it.

Sportsmen and women associated with the Tata Group companies have won a multitude of honours, both on the playing fields and beyond. Among them are world champions, winners at the Olympics, the Asian and Commonwealth Games, and others. The Tata Group has enabled and supported talent across disciplines ever since its inception. Successive chairmen of the Group beginning with Jamsetji Tata have emphasised the need to encourage and actively support a diverse range of activities beyond the office.

Emphasising the continuing support for creative expressions of talent,  Ajay Pandey, president of TIEBU, the Tata enterprise where both Jikku and Roy are employed, said, "As the youngest Tata unit, it gives me immense satisfaction to uphold the Tata tradition of supporting diverse activities outside the realm of the corporate arena. The Tata Indicom Enterprise Business Unit was formed with a view to capitalise on the collective strength of five telecom companies of the Tata Group coming together to tap business opportunities. The Spirit of Adventure 2003 is a reflection of the same team building spirit and symbolises the endless possibilities it opens to all of us in our lives. It is also very encouraging for us to have our customer, BPCL share the same view and support the event."

Roy Chacko and Jikku Joseph are employed as general manager and senior manager at TIEBU respectively. The Tata Indicom Spirit of Adventure team also comprises two standby drivers, Sanjay Maru and Vikram Mertia, who will join the rally in the event of any unforeseen circumstances. The team is expected back in Mumbai on November 28, 2003. The Tata Indicom Spirit of Adventure 2003 is sponsored by Tata Indicom, Tata Sons and Bharat Petroleum.