Breaking barriers and braving injury: Aishwarya Pissay’s rise to the top in world of Rally

There was a brief pause before Aishwarya Pissay, the record-breaking Indian road racing and rally rider, delved into the origins of her decade-long journey and why she chose to pursue a career in rally racing.

Eventually, the 29-year-old, one of the earliest TVS Racing woman factory racers, had a smile across her face, as she figured out how to respond. “Why rally? I wanted to be at the pinnacle of racing and MotoGP when I started. When I realised it wasn’t something that I could reach, I made a career switch to rally,” Aishwarya told  Sportstar.

“It challenges you to a point where you want to give up and you’re questioning yourself, ‘Why are you doing this? Why can’t you be doing something easier?’, but that hunger to want to push through that and still achieve our goal.”

Her passion for motorcycles helped her find new meaning in her life and vaulted her into the history books. “I started riding motorcycles as a hobby,” said Aishwarya. “I would do it on the weekends and then slowly I had a buck for speed. So, I started training for racing.

“When I started racing, it was more about the technique and the skill of an athlete than gender. So, when the helmet went on, it was just a motorcycle and the athlete.”

She became the first Indian to win a motorsport world title when she bagged a World Championship medal with her 2019 FIM Bajas World Cup victory and now holds a record-breaking three World Cup medals.

Speaking about the historic triumph, she said it was special for a multitude of reasons. “I don’t have a lot of words to explain it because that’s how amazing it was. It was very special because, in the first year, I almost lost my life,” referring to an accident at the Baja Spain Aragon in 2018. 

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“From almost losing my life to winning the World Cup, making history was something I was extremely grateful and happy about,” said the Bengaluru-based rider, who found her groove at the national circuits before entering the international scene.

Starting as a privateer, she won a few championships before getting onboard TVS in 2017, whose riders she often raced against in the past. Aishwarya clinched a handful of National Championships and was adjudged FMSCI’s Outstanding Woman in Motorsports in 2016 and 2017.

In 2018, she took part in her first Bajas World Cup race – Bajas Aragon rally – but had a painful year-long wait before bringing home a World Championship medal. A couple of injuries threw her off her path, but it never stopped Aishwarya from getting back on her bike and racing again. 

“When I started racing, I didn’t have a lot of people to look up to, to be a racer or especially women. But I aspire to inspire more people to follow, make more history, and show India is with everybody else,” said Aishwarya, who now believes that she can be more intimidating than intimidated. 

It is with this attitude that she has been consistent, not only in winning races but in creating records too. With the next World Cup coming up in two months, Aishwarya is laser-focused on new challenges. 

“Dakar Rally 2026 is what I’m preparing for as well. I’m working on being Asia’s first woman to win at Dakar.” As she continues on her mission to put India on the map, she hopes to see the country become a fiercer competitor in international racing. 

“International racing is ahead of us because they have been doing a lot more for many years, but we’re not doing any less to catch up,” she said. “When I started, there were not a lot of affordable championships. 

“With TVS Racing coming out with many grassroots level projects for a lot more enthusiasts and youngsters, like the One-Make series, it has created more opportunities. I think things like this are definitely helping the sport in India to grow.”

As she sets her eyes on breaking the barriers in motorsport, Aishwarya looks to conquer more races in the most remote parts of the world. The world of rally racing can be gruelling, but it’s a challenge she has embraced with open arms.

[The reporter was in Vagator, Goa on the invitation of TVS Racing]