Hero MotoSports is the only Indian manufacturer to race the Dakar Rally, and is keen on expanding the country’s role in the discipline. To do this, the team has signed 18-year-old Shlok Ghorpade with the goal of grooming him for a future Dakar Rally, where he’d be the youngest Indian rider to take part.

Ghorpade is one of the top motocross riders in India’s national supercross championship, where he’s already claimed seven titles. As a development rider, he will attempt various races over the next two to three years for the team such as the Rallye du Maroc before heading to Dakar. He’ll also work alongside the team’s other riders like Ross Branch and José Ignacio Cornejo.

The company’s rider development program is called “India’s Next Dakar Hero”, with the rather obvious goal of training native riders for rally raids. CS Santosh is the only other Indian rider to compete for the team until his crash and injury in the 2021 Dakar.

This focus on young riders also extends beyond India. Since 2025, Hero has fielded official riders in the Rally2 class like Tobias Ebster and Michael Docherty.

Hero has also signed a five-year contract extension with the ASO to continue racing in the W2RC.

Featured image credit: Indian Motoring