With the 2025 Dakar Rakly around the corner, all eyes will be on top contenders from KTM, Honda, and other teams. However, for Indian enthusiasts, there will be five reasons for the rally — Hero, Noah, Raorane, Jain, and Takale. This year there will be four competitors from India at the Dakar Rally, three on motorcycles and one in the Dakar Classic class.
Indians at the 2025 Dakar Rally — Who are they?
The biggest name out there will be Team Hero MotoSports, who finished second at the 2024 Dakar Rally. With Ross Branch at the helm and with a three-member team, Hero is looking at the top spot, especially after Branch’s performance at the Rally Du Maroc. Hero also has another important name in its team – Jose ‘Nacho’ Cornejo – who will be on his first outing with Hero after six seasons with Honda.
Harith Noah is a person to watch out for. The TVS Sherco rider won the Rally 2 class in the 2024 Dakar Rally and he is back again, aiming for the top spot. Noah had a consistent pace in the previous edition of the Dakar and the 2025 Dakar Rally will be his sixth outing.
Ashish Raorane is the next name to watch out for, as the Marine Engineer started his racing career at age 35. Raorane made his Dakar debut as a privateer and returned in 2024 with the support of Xraids Experience. He unfortunately crashed out on both his outings and is back in 2025 with a mission.
The next man is Jatin Jain, who will make his Dakar debut in 2025 in the Rally 2 class, racing a Kove 450. Jain has been racing professionally for 20 years now, and has been victorious at the Indian National Rally Championship and Raid De Himalaya. He also has experience racing in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, the Sonora Rally in Mexico and the Desafio Ruta 40.
Finally, it’s Sanjay Takale, who has been racing for over 30 years. Takale is entering the Dakar Classics class in 2025, racing a Toyota Land Cruiser. He will be teaming up with French team Compagnie Saharienne for support in the upcoming rally. The Dakar Classic class is meant for vehicles made before 2005 and they follow a Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) format and a separate route, unlike the other competitors.
