Travel and drive stories are not new to Business India. In 2013, for the first time in India Auto India, part of the Business India Group of publications successfully completed a road trip to the Seven States (popularly known as the Seven Sisters – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura) followed by driving to the 12 Jyotirlinga in 12 days in 2014. In the span of eight years, infrastructure in Arunachal has been completely transformed. After the successful first edition of the Trans Arunachal Drive (TAD) in 2021, the second edition of the TAD under Dekho Apna Desh, Dekho Apna Pradesh – Arunachal Pradesh organised by the Department of Tourism and Government of Arunachal Pradesh concluded recently on 16 May 2022. The TAD is the brainchild of Abu Tayeng, Director, Arunachal Tourism and supported by the chief minister whose vision is to showcase Arunachal as a driving destination for India and the world. Mahindra & Mahindra provided their vehicles – Scorpios, Thars and the new XUV700s for this drive. The amazing 2400 km TAD was envisioned and started for the state by the late Dorjee Khandu HCM. The drive also helps identify the development work taking place across state roads. The issues faced by the participants in the first edition in terms of accommodation were been sorted out in the second edition with proper planning by arranging homestays and village houses for them while promoting rural tourism. Cultural and economic bonds The TAD 12-day drive, divided into three legs covering 2,400km was flagged off from Namsai, known for its famed Golden Pagoda and traversed through Pangsau, a mountain pass perched atop the Patkai Hills on the India-Myanmar border; Rima Village in Changlang district with a total population of approximately 73 people. Namdhapa, a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalayas which is home to over 1,000 flora and about 1,400 fauna species; Bomjir, the oldest village in the Lower Dibang Valley district; Kambu Village, one of the oldest villages with a population of slightly more than 600 people; Mechuka, a land that’s blessed with medicinal snow-fed river and streams; Pasighat, a historic town founded by the British back in 1911; Pakke-Kessang, home to the Pakke Tiger Reserve; Dirang, a quaint town known for its hot springs, apple and kiwi orchards, and, after touching Zemithang, the remotest north-western corner of Arunachal Pradesh, culminated at Tawang on 13 May. The successful TAD will further strengthen Arunachal’s cultural and economic bonds with the rest of the country. With its dense evergreen forests, mountains, rivers and streams, this northeast state offers so much to tourists: a variety of activities including motorsports, cycling, trekking and river rafting. Its five river valleys – Kameng, the Lohit, the Subansiri, the Siang, and the Tirap – all fed by the snow from the Himalayas contribute to its unique geographical diversity. This largely agricultural economy holds enormous potential for hydroelectric power, and will soon have the country’s largest hydropower project. The first edition of TAD extended across 2,500km from Namsai in the East to Tawang in the West. It was covered by more than 72 media personnel who drove through the state in specially built Mahindra Adventure vehicles. The event led to a spurt in road trips along the Trans Arunachal Highway, most notably by members of the Super Car Club that saw the likes of McLarens, Ferraris and Lamborghinis being driven through the state.