Formula E keen to return but India need to have the will to host: Alberto Longo

Formula E is keen to return to India but is waiting for an Indian city to make the first move, championship co-founder Alberto Longo said, three years after the all-electric series made a promising Hyderabad debut but was dropped from the calendar amid contractual.

Asked what needed to happen for India to return to the calendar, Longo said Formula E was ready to engage but wanted an invitation from an Indian city or authorities. There needs to be a will to host a Formula E event.

What Happened

Trust me, we are really ready to come back to India.We are discussing with more than 80 cities worldwide today simultaneously. Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds echoed the same sentiment and hopes the country could return to the calendar in the coming.

• Studies conducted across its host cities typically show an economic impact of around 80-100 million euros, while the Hyderabad event employed around 2,000-2,500 people locally during the month-long preparation, he said.

• The Hyderabad E-Prix was cancelled in January 2024 after the Telangana government's Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department decided not to fulfil the Host City Agreement.

• The government subsequently raised questions over the approvals and financial procedures followed in entering into the agreement.

Key Details

We have a number of very, very high profile Indian partners. Obviously Mahindra up there, Infosys is a big partner of ours, Tata obviously own the Jaguar racing team, Tata and TCS Jaguar.

• I cannot tell you exactly which race will happen in the future in India.

• The possibility of a different Indian venue is also open, with Longo saying it was too early to determine whether Hyderabad would host the race again.

• I think we touched buttons, to the people or the heart of the people, to start looking into electromobility.

Why It Matters

And the growth coming out of India and the EV potential in India is absolutely enormous. So India remains a priority market for us.

• You can see that not only the passion, they are really building an EV culture in India since five to ten years ago.

• He described the inaugural Hyderabad race as a "massive success" in terms of attendance and said India's rapidly expanding EV ecosystem made the country particularly attractive.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Hindustan Times as more details emerge