We are all very proud of Vishal (George Kurian) who was awarded fifth place in the Maruti Suzuki-Autocar Young Driver 2010 contest.

Althugh Vishal did not win the contest, his performance was remarkable because there were over 20,000 applicants for the contest. At the end of the first round based on an online test of driver proficiency there were 1050 who were short-listed for the second round. These participants next went through a practical test and one more test on the driving simulator. The top 30 contestants among them were declared as qualified for the final stage of the contest. Vishal was one of the 30 finalists and at the age of 18 years was the youngest of the contestants!

Vishal was flown on an all expenses paid trip to New Delhi where the contestants were accommodated at the Le Meridien Hotel. During this final stage of the evaluation which took place on March 29, 2010, the contestants underwent an actual driving test under the keen eye of Maruti Suzuki’s driving instructors and judges from Autocar India. Contestants were evaluated on parameters such as smoothness, vehicle control and presence of mind during emergency situations.

Vishal received a special commendation for his performance during the final test especially given the fact that he was the youngest finalist.

The grand prize awardedto the winner was a brand new Maruti Suzuki A-star car. The contest tested the competitors' knowledge of traffic rules, awareness of road safety along with their real-world driving skill. The contest was open to all individuals, between the age of 18 and 30, with a valid Indian driving license.

Vishal's selection as a finalist was a surprise to his parents, Ashwathi and Biju, who had no idea that he had entered the contest

Although, Vishal did not win the grand prize, we are all very proud of his achievement in being selected as a finalist in an All-India contest and achieving fifth place in the contest.

Congratulations Vishal!!