Chennai, 7 Dec

Indu Chandhok, the founder-member of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) who transformed motorsports scene in the country with his foresight and dedication, died here on Saturday. He was 93 and is survived by two sons and one daughter.

Born in Kolkata, Chandhok moved to the erstwhile Madras and co-founded the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) in 1953. Later, he co-founded FMSCI in 1971, of which he was the president from 1978 to 1979.

He was also an integral part of the trust that purchased and developed the Madras International Circuit (erstwhile Madras Motor Race Track), near Sriperumbudur, on the outskirts of Chennai, which became a motorsports hub in the years to come.

Chandhok's involvement with motorsports spanned six decades, first as a competitor and later as an organiser, which earned him the sobriquet of "Godfather of Motor Sports in India".

"The patriarch of the Chandhok family passed away in his sleep this morning. Total legend he was. 'BIC' (Indu Chandhok) lived his life filled with a great sense of humour until the end. He was a fantastic father and protector," Chandhok's son and MMSC vice-president Vicky said.

"In a way, he was also the patriarch of Indian motorsports who saw the big picture with a clear vision for the growth of the sport. The family and the motorsports fraternity will miss him," added Vicky, a former racing driver.

MMSC president Ajit Thomas called Chandhok an "institutional figure" who gave Indian motorsports a definitive direction. "In Indu Chandhok's demise, the MMSC and Indian motorsports have l
ost a giant and an institutional figure. He was instrumental in providing definitive direction to motorsports in India and we are now enjoying the fruits of his untiring efforts. He also shaped MMSC to what it is today," said Thomas in a statement.

Chandhok's grandson, Karun, went on the compete in the biggest motorsport event in the world, Formula One, taking part in 11 races in 2010-11.

Former FMSCI president Shramik Masturlal said Chandhok took Indian motorsports to great heights. "Indu was an institution in himself. His co-founding of the FMSCI, his huge efforts in making Sholavaram races what it became, the creation of the new track from scratch, the birth of the MMST etc, all bore the stamp of Indu's efforts in furthering motorsports to unimaginable levels. Indu leaves gigantic footprints. An era has passed!" said Masturlal.