Interview: sakshi vij from myles cars
The female entrepreneur from india who put the fun back in self-driving
"Why own a car when you can rent one" might sound absurd to car lovers like us. However, imagine living in a city like Mumbai or Delhi where the population exceeds a few million. Traffic jams take hours, parking is a nightmare, the streets are full of potholes and let's not mention the huge costs of owning a car. No wonder many people rely on taxi's and auto rickshaws.
When traveling out of the city this service extends. Traditional car rental services all provide professional drivers, since labor comes cheap. However, where is the fun for us car lovers?
Sakshi Vij founded Myles, a self-drive mobility service in 2013. The cost of owning and maintaining a car has been growing for the last few years. Yet over 2.5-2.6 million cars are bought in India every year. These cars, while enable a certain convenience to the car owner, they also add to the congestion, parking costs, infrastructural burden in urban cities. The idea of Myles has therefore been to bring back the fun the driving and without the burden of ownership. In just a few years Myles has grown to over 1200 cars and 250 locations in 21 Indian cities.
Sakshi Vij, CEO and founder of Myles Cars
Admiring this entrepreneurial and automotive spirit I had a chat with Sakshi.
"While growing up we had a sky blue Contessa Classic at home. It was one of the few Indian luxury cars at that time with a classic country experience and great power. It’s the kind of car I would want to drive again."
The Hindustan Contessa Classic was based on the Vauxhall Victor.
"I am now a loyal Myles customer. The car I drive is completely based on the need, mood and budget. So it could be a Honda Jazz one day, Ford EcoSport another and the Mercedes E Class on another. Having 39 different models of vehicles on our fleet makes it easier to not be fixed on one car."
"Out of the roads I have driven on, I find the Srinagar –Gulmarg up-hill drive as immensely beautiful. I also completely fell in love with my drive arounds the Cotswolds in UK recently."
Wondering about the automotive landscape in India, I asked Sakshi about her opinion on women in this sector;
"I see gender-balanced work places as an advantage for any industry. The Automotive industry has struggled to achieve this for a while. I feel this may have been because driving was considered a man’s job. Not only has there been a large change in that myth, the idea of mobility has also changed. The automotive sector today needs to look at the over all development of cities through intelligent mobility solutions. A balance of thought in this case is extremely important. It is inspiring to know that most innovations in the automotive space such as Car Sharing, Electric vehicle technologies etc. have significant contributions from women."
Gulmarg road (Pakistan). Yes, I want to drive there too.
Last but not least, I asked Sakshi if she has any advice for people who are looking for an Indian driving adventure of their own;
"Plan ahead. Since India requires paying of State border taxes while crossing states, It will be good to take vehicles that have pre-paid taxes. At Myles, we provide a 24/7 roadside/breakdown assistance all around the country. This could come handy in case of any emergencies. Renting a GPS system or owning one yourself while driving may be a good tip as well. Road signs are few and far between."
Well, as I am planning a little trip to India next week, I have an immediate opportunity to try out MylesCars myself! :)
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