All India Road Trip: Rustik Travel -Hemant Albert Soreng, PGP 1997

All India Road Trip

Hemant Albert Soreng (PGP 1997) or “HAS” as he is fondly called by his IIMB friends and batchmates has set out on a mega six-month-long road trip in his car across the length and breadth of India. He will cover all the 28 states and 7 union territories spanning a distance of over 25,000+ km. He will be the lead driver, a constant throughout the six months while many other road trippers will join along the way for different durations.

This All India Road Trip is an initiative by Rustik Travel (a Sustainable Experiential Travel company that he founded in 2015)  in association with Indiatourism Bengaluru, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Starting on Gandhi Jayanti Day, 2nd October 2021 honouring the father of the nation, the event was flagged off by Mr. Mohamed Farouk, Director India Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Bengaluru. The flag-off event was organised with much fanfare and was well attended by many including IIMB Alumni.

Campaign Video Link:

We asked him about this epic road trip and this is what he had to say:

How did this idea come about?

In early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic came in like a tsunami and engulfed the entire world. The world came to a standstill with endless lockdowns and strict travel restrictions, many of which still persist. This adversely affected the travel & tourism industry the most as many companies closed down and many livelihoods were lost. This industry that contributes to nearly 13% of the total workforce and an equivalent contribution to the GDP was brought to its knees and is still reeling from the after-effects. 

However, the worst affected were the ones whom we call the backbone of this industry, that is, the drivers, guides, porters and from related craft sectors – artisans, weavers and others. Many of them are now in deep debt.

During the last year, we were in touch with many of them and tried to help in our own personal way. But that was not enough. So we decided to do something big and the result was an All India Road Trip. This is our way to celebrate the 75th year of Indian independence, and in the process bring the focus back on tourism in India with “Dekho Apna Desh”, and most importantly, create awareness and raise funds for those in tourism & craft sectors worst affected by the pandemic, the backbone of the industry namely guides, drivers, porters, artisans and others.

In these six months, we will travel to different places, explore, discover and cover lesser-known places, craft clusters, lesser-known national heroes, stories, destinations and experiences of India. 

The themes and stories would be in synch with the nationwide campaign – Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/). 

How is IIMB connected with this initiative? 

Hemant, a true blue alum, is taking the IIMBAA flag, literally, on his car across the country. He will be meeting quite a few IIMB alumni who are doing exemplary work creating impact and will be covering their stories.

Many alumni will be joining him at different points in time for different legs of the journey supporting the drive. And those who are unable to join are already cheering him on supporting the initiative and spreading the word around.  

How could you get involved and support a fellow alum?

You could join him in this road trip, if not physically, then through the regular updates – Vlogs, Podcasts and Stories that will be shared on Ministry of Tourism and Rustik Travel Social Media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn), along with the campaign website https://rustiktravel.com/allindiaroadtrip, where you could find all the information about the road trip. 

Meet him along the way; connect him with people or fellow alum who are creating impact through their work.

You could amplify the buzz, spread the word, and support those who need it the most by contributing to the campaign. Details at https://rustiktravel.com/allindiaroadtrip/support

About Hemant Soreng

Hemant is a published Author, Serial Entrepreneur, IronMan Triathlete, Scuba Diver, Documentary Filmmaker, Podcast Host, Mountaineer & Traveler. Founder, Rustik Travel Ventures. Electronics Engineer (DCE) with MBA (IIMB).  

More at www.hemantsoreng.com 

About Rustik Travel

Rustik Travel curates activity-based travel experiences in India and abroad that have a local flavour and engages people from the local community.

Sustainable Experiential Travel, in short. 

Sustainability, in terms of creating livelihoods, protecting the environment and preserving culture.

Experiential, in terms of travel experiences ranging from adventure-based – trekking, biking, cycling, diving, etc. to cultural, culinary, volunteering and more.

More details at www.rustiktravel.com