IIT-B Alumnus Breaks a Guinness Record Cycling across 9 States to Raise Awareness on Solar Energy

Sushil Reddy entered the Guinness Books of World Records when he completed the “longest journey on a motorised bicycle”, but that’s not what he wants to focus on. Sushil’s main goal behind covering a distance of 7,424 km in 79 days on a solar-powered electric cycle was to raise awareness on the importance of harvesting solar power. And he crossed nine Indian states in the process.

An alumnus of IIT Bombay, Sushil completed his epic journey (dubbed SunPedal Ride) with the help of a three-person crew comprising of Krunal Tailor, Rajendra Bhaskar and Himanshu Singh, who followed him in a support vehicle.

Sushil says that it was a privilege for him to have been a part of this ride.

Photo source: Facebook

“The entire journey turned out to be much more than what it was aimed for. To actually experience India’s unity in diversity via this journey was a privilege. The whole experience has strengthened our focus, determination, and patience, and has enabled us to persevere both physically and mentally,” he adds.

One of the reasons the four embarked on this ride was to help the society realise the potency of solar power. Sushil says, “Environment is a universal factor and climate change will affect everyone irrespective of race, colour or religion. Solar energy has a lot of potential in India, especially in the near future with an ambitious target set by the government — of installing 100 Gigawatt solar power by 2022.”

Sushil made several pit-stops along the way, conducting seminars on solar power. “But this is just the beginning. We would be continuing our efforts to communicate the idea of sustainability to the masses via different mediums,” he says.

And hence it is only an added perk for the group to have made it to the Record book. “The Guinness Record is a blessing in disguise since it was not the priority of the ride to break a record,” adds Sushil.

Photo source: Facebook

In addition to everything else, Sushil has also authored an e-book called SunPedal Ride that traces his 79-day journey. The proceeds from the sales will go towards the NGO Hockey Village India.

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