“I was a car journalist when I started on ‘Top Gear.’ It was all about cars. And then it all spun out of all control, and we turned into figures of ridicule to keep the viewers happy. It’s a fair deal, I suppose.”- James May

A decade ago, the Indian automobile industry began to mature as various types of motorcycles and cars from foreign brands started to reach the Indian outlets. A vast bulk of people had money and taste, but most of them lacked knowledge about those new breeds of cars and motorcycles. After all, India never really had vehicles with higher displacements and alienated modern-day features. That’s when automobile journalism started to achieve traction in India. Indeed, the country had automobile news outlets such as Autocar and Overdrive in the early 2000s, but those were the days when these media outlets were only followed by the automobile enthusiasts.

Today, Autocar, Overdrive, and Powerdrift are some automobile news media outlets that are known by an immense bulk of people and not merely by the automobile enthusiasts. Not to forget, some Indian automobile journalists such as Hormazd Sorabjee, Renuka Kirpalani, and Sagar Sheldekar have an enormous fan base in the country. Given how the entire journalism scenario in India has evolved with time, several youngsters dream of becoming the next Sheldekar. However, most of them do not know how or where to start. Therefore, in this piece, we have written some ways of becoming an automobile journalist.

Knowledge- To become an automobile journalist, one must possess immense knowledge about vehicles. From cars, motorcycles to trucks and tractors; a candidate must know about the mechanical aspect of the mentioned vehicles. From the names of the parts to how they function, everything should be at the fingertips of a candidate.

Educational qualification- To become an automobile journalist, one should have an undergraduate and post-graduate degree in journalism. Also, a degree in mechanical engineering could give a massive boost. Not to forget, one can get riding and driving certifications from various racing schools present in the country. However, one can also become an automobile journalist without the above-mentioned degrees and courses. After all, knowledge is given the maximum priority.

Training- Training at an early stage is important and therefore, one should start doing internships with automobile media houses. Even if a candidate receives an unpaid internship opportunity, it should be grabbed. First-hand newsroom experience at an early age helps in going a long way.

Blogging and YouTube channel- Last but not least, writing blogs and posting self-made videos are important as they help in creating an impressive portfolio.