New Delhi: Lt. Gen. A. Sengupta, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army’s Central Command, on Thursday flagged off a motorcycle expedition, ‘Kumaon Quest’, from the National War Memorial in Delhi.
Lt. Col. Aditi Mishra of the Corps of Engineers is leading the ten-member team undertaking the nine-day expedition to Kumaon region. The riders will pass through the border districts of Pithoragarh, Champawat, Didihat and Dharchula, areas with strategic significance and a long-standing connection to the armed forces.
This initiative is a part of the Army’s ongoing efforts to support the government’s Vibrant Villages Programme, which aims to promote tourism, infrastructure and development in border settlements.
The ride would aid in drawing attention to these often-overlooked areas and highlight their cultural and strategic relevance, the Army said.
Envisaged as more than an endurance challenge, Kumaon Quest is positioned as a platform for direct public engagement. Stops along the route will include visits to educational institutions, where the team will interact with students and spread awareness about career opportunities in the armed forces, particularly through the Agnipath recruitment scheme.
The expedition will further include outreach to veterans, Veer Naris (war widows), and families of fallen soldiers. This engagement is meant to honour the contributions of local communities and reinforce the Army’s ongoing commitment to veteran welfare and remembrance, according to Army officials.
Known for its strong military traditions, the Kumaon region contributes a significant number of recruits to the armed forces. The ride aims to celebrate that legacy while helping integrate remote villages more closely with national development initiatives.
Motorcycle rallies have been a long tradition in the Army, which has organised several women-led motorcycle rallies to mark key occasions and enhance civil-military connection. In 2023, a 25-member all-women ride was launched from Delhi to the Kargil War Memorial. Another expedition was flagged off from Leh in 2024 under the Nari Sashaktikaran initiatives linked to the Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Likewise, the Army’s 2023 Desert Corps expedition marking the 1971 India–Pakistan war also followed this model of engagement through mobility. Similar outreach initiatives have been undertaken by other armed services as well. In 2024, the Indian Navy organised a 2,500-km motorcycle expedition across the Northeast to promote naval careers and engage with students in border regions.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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