How these two Mumbai-based women started exploring the world on four wheels

When Indian travellers Sujal Patwardhan and Medha Joseph embarked on a selfdrive trip from India to Morocco in 2015 with a group of friends little did they know that this journey would lead to a transformative experience prompting them to pursue this professionallyDuring this expedition the duo drove 23000 km traversing 17 countries over 57 days While it was a turning point in their lives the journey wasnrsquot without challenges However their love for travelling and driving was too deep to be deterred by that the spark plug for this journey was lit quite a few years before thatSujal who took her first selfdrive trip in the US in a Mini Cooper in 2011 expresses ldquoMy love for driving started earlymdashIrsquove always been drawn to the thrill of the open road Over the years I took countless road trips pushing boundaries and discovering new landscapes globally But what stood out to me was how selfdrive travel wasnrsquot as mainstream in India especially for women and then we both went on our lifechanging expedition from India to Morocco and the rest is just a series of selfdrive expeditionsrdquoOn the other hand Medharsquos journey started almost two decades earlier Her first road trip was from Pune to Bengaluru in an Ambassador in 1990 and first solo drive from Hyderabad to Pune in a Maruti Alto in 2008 She embraced driving on most of her travel expeditions ldquoNot just India but every time I got an opportunity to travel overseas I would make sure that I would drive some part of it even when it was not commonplace for international visitors from India This gave me such a taste of freedom that there was no turning backrdquo she sharesTheir shared love for the open road led them to join hands and organise selfdrive expeditions for other travel enthusiasts especially women The duo founders of the travel platform Embarq led an allwomen selfdrive expedition from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in March this year to mark Womenrsquos Day as part of their lsquoThe Bold Routersquo series The trip featured a convoy of 25 cars covering 4000 kms But thatrsquos not it The duo will also lead other womenonly expeditions in 2025 including Spain in September and Nagaland in DecemberGlimpses from previous tripsWomen in the driving seat breaking stereotypesThe duo is charting global territories and empowering other women to explore the joy and freedom of travelling With people often stereotyping women drivers they have had their fair share ldquoWe have faced plenty of stereotypesrdquo Sujal says continuing ldquoThe most obvious is when people assumed we couldnrsquot drive long distances or handle difficult terrain I remember an incident at a border checkpoint where the officers were convinced that we needed a male driver They kept asking lsquoMadam akele kaise drive karenge Madam how will you drive alonersquo Itrsquos always satisfying and sometimes amusing to challenge these perceptionsrdquoMedha recalls another incident ldquoDuring another expedition a roadside mechanic refused to believe that I had driven the vehicle through tough terrain He was convinced that one of the male participants must have taken overrdquo she shares reiterating that it is moments like these that reinforce why itrsquos important for more women to take the wheel and prove that stereotypes are often datedThe duo now based in Mumbai expresses delight on the growth of allwomen trips solo drives and more While women drivers started their journey a bit later they are embracing it wholeheartedly now embarking on new and exciting expeditionsSujal shares ldquoDo you remember the first time you sat behind the wheel of a car That spark of independence is gender neutral However since women drivers started their journeys a bit later the feeling of empowerment is immense Selfdrive womenonly and solo travel are growing at levels that are unprecedentedrdquoIt is not only them but also the many women who have travelled with them says Medha and their personal stories that would deeply inspire people to see the large steps they have taken to embrace a mode of travel that was esoteric a decade agoLearning as travellersGiven Sujal and Medha who left their corporate jobs after their Morocco trip have embraced travelling not only as a personal interest but also as a profession they have diverse experiences and learnings to shareMedha expresses ldquoFor me the biggest learning has been about human connections No matter where we go we meet people who are kind welcoming and willing to help Itrsquos a reminder that the world is full of good people and that travel is as much about the people as it is about the places and it makes you a better human being as well in returnldquoMy biggest learning is the ability to not take life too seriously to become resilient and not be surprised by any unexpected turn These have stood such solid test of time that I often wonder how else I would have learnt it if not travelrdquo Sujal signs 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