(Guwahati - November 23rd) - The first ever 'India-ASEAN Car Rally', a proposal mooted by the Indian Prime Minister at the ASEAN-India summit in Bali, Indonesia in October last year kicked off on Monday, November 22nd, 2004 in Guwahati. The venue of the official ceremony - the inauguration and flag off of the India-ASEAN rally was the Nehru Stadium. JK Tyre the 'Official Tyres' for the Rally was represented by none other than the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of JK Industries Ltd. - Mr. Raghupati Singhania. Also present were the Head of Motor Sport at JK Tyre - Sanjay Sharma, along with Sales, Area, Product managers of the company that stands for 'Total Control'.

The leading car of the rally is being driven by India's most respected ralliest driver for Team JK Tyre - Hari Singh (Five time National Rally Champion and World's first Asia Zone Champion 2000) along with the President of FMSCI - Mr. Vicky Chandhok. The rally driving on JK Tyre would traverse a grueling 8,000 kms through 8 of the 10 ASEAN countries - 'Networking People and Economies'. Thirty-three cars from 11 countries and 29 other support vehicles comprise the convoy for the rally.

With the drivers of the leading cars and Vice Chairman & Managing Director of JK Industries Ltd. - Mr. Raghupati Singhania being introduced to the Prime Minister it was time for the flag off of the first ever India-ASEAN Rally. It was a moment of great pride as Mr. Singhania sharing the dais with the Prime Minister - Dr. Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister of Assam - Mr. Tarun Gogoi, Hon'ble Minister of External Affairs - Mr. K Natwar Singh and President CII - Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal watched as the leading car of Hari Singh and Vicky Chandhok led the 62 cars out of the stadium commemorating the start of the rally. Other dignitaries present included Mr. Ong Keng Yong - Secretary General ASEAN, Mr. Ibobi Singh - Hon'ble Chief Minister of Manipur, Mr. D D Lapang - Hon'ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Mr. Neiphiu Rio - Hon'ble Chief Minister of Nagaland, Mr. P R Kyndiah - Minister of Tribal Affairs & Department of Development of North East Region, Mr. C M Bhandhari - Secretary General of the Rally & Additional Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs amongst the other Ministers from ASEAN countries present.

Dr. Singh who will be in Laos for the third ASEAN-India Summit along with other Prime Ministers/head of states of ASEAN countries will flag off the final leg of the rally on November 30th. Also going to be present at Laos on behalf of JK Tyre would be the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of JK Industries Ltd. - Mr. Raghupati Singhania.