Dimapur, August 25: ANagaland is set to host the Kohima round of the F1 Sim Racing India Open on August 28 and 29, bringing a national motorsport talent identification programme to the state.
The initiative, in collaboration with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited, Nagaland Esports Society, government partners and TXG Expo Nagaland 2026, aims to make motorsport more accessible to young people and create a structured grassroots pathway for identifying and nurturing racing talent.
Addressing the media, Arun Thankappan, Communication Head, said the programme is designed to “democratize motorsports” by taking professional-grade racing simulators to different parts of the country, including regions where access to motorsport infrastructure remains limited.
He said sim racing can provide an objective platform for identifying talent, as participants are primarily judged by their performance and lap times.
“The stopwatch never lies,” Thankappan said, explaining that a simulator does not consider a participant’s name, age, gender, background, financial status or family connections, but simply measures performance on the track.
The Kohima programme will focus on exposing students, parents and motorsport enthusiasts to sim racing and the wider motorsport ecosystem. The organisers said the event is intended not only as a competition but also as an opportunity for participants to experience the technology, understand the sport and explore potential career pathways.
While the programme has junior and senior categories, the organisers said they are open to participants beyond the defined age groups and may provide wildcard opportunities to individuals who demonstrate exceptional potential.
The organisers said they aim to eventually take around 1,000 participants to Mumbai — 500 juniors and 500 seniors — as part of the larger national programme.
Participants will initially compete against the clock, with lap-time data helping identify the fastest and most promising competitors. Those who progress through the various stages could eventually move from the simulator into real-world karting and competitive motorsport, depending on their performance and development.
Thankappan also stressed that motorsport offers career opportunities beyond driving, including engineering, mechanics, technology, data, media, communications and other STEM-related fields.
He said the initiative is also aimed at helping parents understand that motorsport can be a viable professional career pathway for young people, while giving children access to a structured ecosystem in which their potential can be assessed and nurtured.
According to the organisers, the programme has already reached more than 30,000 children and engaged with over 200 educational institutions through seminars and outreach activities across the country.
Thankappan said bringing the programme to Nagaland was important to ensure that the national talent hunt reaches the “length and breadth” of India rather than remaining concentrated in established motorsport centres.
The larger vision, he said, is to identify young talent regardless of geographical, social or financial background and provide promising participants with a pathway towards professional motorsport.
