There are two things that one often notices about a person during their first interaction — passion and presentation. When we met Swati Bagga, the 28-year-old heiress of SB Group Of Companies, her passion for supercars and grounded approach towards life were things that were hard to be missed. Swati, who has a fleet of cars like Ferrari, Jaguar F- Type, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes Benz SLK 350 and BMW Z4 parked in her backyard, is not only an avid car collector but also a trained driver who knows her cars inside out.
She is the only woman driver in India, who drove the Lamborghini Gallardo at Lamborghini Track Day, held at Buddh International Circuit making a lap record at the speed of 270 km/per hour.
As a child, Swati appeared in several commercials for national and international brands, but her biggest obsession remained car racing. Speaking about her true calling, Swati mentions, “I always had an eye for sports cars and performance vehicles. The first time I saw a supercar, it was a Ferrari, in London, and as a four-year-old that was a magical moment for me, after which the passion only grew.
Everything about cars fascinated me, from their outer beauty, to their inner engineering; I wanted to know it all. As a child, I always questioned our drivers about the technical parts and their roles. As I grew up, I started to take part in karting championships, then started to race and won many competitions in India. I got trained at the MRF Racing School and further enhanced my training with the WRC professionals. Later, I underwent a professional training to become a certified F1/F3 racer and studied advanced motor sports development and racing technology.”
As a woman car racer, Swati faced her share of struggles on and off the track, but her love for cars only grew stronger. She informs, “When I was 15, my father gifted me a brand new Mitsubishi Lancer SFXi sports edition, which I later used for my rallying competitions and modified it. Initially, when I started driving a sports car, people always underestimated me and I always took them by surprise. It was always so exciting to see the jaws drop. By now, people know my capability very well and whenever someone seeks help for professional training, I make sure to take out time and share my expertise.”
Swati is also a member of the prestigious Cannonball Club that connects supercar owners across the country. Speaking about her association with other like-minded people in the circuit, she says, “My all-time favourite vehicle is Mercedes Benz, and as a tribute to it, I have even named my black labrador Merc. I honestly worship my cars and I am extremely possessive about them. The most important thing to understand about a supercar is that it’s not just a car, it needs a lot of practice to control the speed and technicalities of these beauties. Although, I am connected to a lot of supercar owners, I feel sorry when people treat their cars like trophies and have no knowledge about them. I want to bring the change in the thinking of people and tell people to respect the engineering behind the wheels.”
Professionally also, Swati likes to stay one step ahead from the rest. Her first professional venture was in the year 2007 when she started Sunrise Afforest & Bio–Fuel Development Industries Ltd (SABDIL) under the Banner of SB Group. Speaking about her work, she says, “Our primary focus was to generate bio-fuel or the green fuel and provide employment to people in rural areas. We produce Soya and green fuel to save the environment from harmful chemicals. Currently, I am also busy with the launch of a pan-India project ‘Welfare medical.’” Despite a busy schedule, she likes to manage her time and pursue her other interests like golfing and horse riding. An ardent car, golfing gear and perfume collector, she shares her wishlist, “In future I would love to add a Jaguar XJ L, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Lamborghini Aventador Roadster and Koenigsegg Agera in my car collection.”
