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What is Dakar rally: Inside world’s longest 8,000 km off-road motor vehicle rally; Cars, bikes and trucks go beyond limits here; ‘The survival battle’
Dakar rally: The Dakar Rally is one of the world’s toughest off-road races. It is a multi-stage event covering almost 8,000 kilometres over deserts, dunes, rocks, and rough terrain. Originally held in Africa, the rally has taken place in Saudi Arabia in recent years, attracting top riders, drivers, and teams from across the globe. Participants riding cars, bikes, trucks, light vehicles, and classic vehicles take part in this rally. Harsh temperatures, navigation challenges, and mechanical stress make it a highly competitive race.
The 2026 Dakar Rally was a 14-day, 13-stage, 8,000 km event that took place from January 3 to January 17, 2026, in Saudi Arabia. It saw dramatic racing and close finishes. In the overall motorcycle category, Argentina’s Luciano Benavides clinched victory by just two seconds, one of the closest margins in the event’s history.
In the car category, Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah secured his sixth Dakar Rally title, driving for the Dacia Sandriders team and reinforcing his position as one of the sport’s all-time greats. He led over 8,000 km of racing across Saudi Arabia and finished with a strong lead over the competition. Other notable performances included strong showings from Ford Racing, with podium finishes and stage wins.
India’s participation at Dakar 2026
Indian competitors also secured notable achievements at the 2026 Dakar Rally, with two key figures drawing attention:
Sanjay Takale’s historic run: Veteran Indian rally driver Sanjay Takale made history at the Dakar Rally by winning the H3 class prologue and standing on the Dakar podium in the four-wheel category – a first for an Indian. He finished 35th overall in the cars classification and became the first Indian to achieve this milestone.
Takale’s effort marked a significant moment for Indian motorsport. However, his Dakar campaign later ended due to a mechanical failure, forcing him to withdraw before the end of the event.
Harith Noah competes in bikes: On the two-wheeled side, Harith Noah, a top Indian rally-raid rider from Kerala, also competed in the Dakar Rally’s bike category. Noah has been part of multiple Dakar campaigns and brought valuable experience to one of the world’s most challenging motorsport events.
Indian teams such as Hero MotoSports also participated in the event, maintaining India’s growing presence at Dakar with competitive stage results and notable finishes.
Dakar is more than just a race
The Dakar Rally is more than a race; it is a test of endurance, skill, and strategy. Competitors drive through extreme temperatures, unpredictable terrain, and strict navigation rules that can change standings dramatically from stage to stage. Finishing this event earns respect in the motorsport world, and individual stage wins or class podiums are celebrated worldwide.
The 2026 Dakar Rally showcased challenging terrains, historic individual achievements, and competitive performances across categories.
Two ads promoting British beef and milk have been banned after television presenter and environmental campaigner Chris Packham complained that they misled consumers about the products’ carbon footprints.
Both ads for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) Let’s Eat Balanced campaign used the carbon footprint of British beef and milk to promote the products, firstly stating: “British beef not only tastes great, but has a carbon footprint that’s half the global average*.”
The asterisk linked to text that stated: “Full lifecycle emissions of CO2 eq (carbon dioxide equivalent) per kg of beef.”
The ad for milk stated: “British milk not only tastes good, but is also produced to world-class standards, and has a carbon footprint a third lower than the global average.”
Packham complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the ads, and specifically the carbon footprint claims, were misleading as they did not reflect the full environmental impact of British meat and dairy.
The AHDB said the ads’ mention of carbon emissions would be understood in relation to the environmental impact of beef and milk that occurred between the “cradle-to-retail” stages.
But the ASA said the average consumer “being reasonably well-informed, observant and circumspect” would understand the claims to apply beyond the retail stage and include actions such as cooking and wastage.
The ASA said: “While we acknowledged the potential difficulties in producing post-retail emissions data, the claims in the ads suggested those emissions were included and we therefore expected the evidence provided to also include them.
“We therefore concluded that the evidence presented was insufficient to support the full life-cycle claims in the ads, which was how the average consumer was likely to interpret them.
“We reminded AHDB that environmental claims should be based on the full life cycle unless the ad stated otherwise.”
AHDB’s director of communications and market development, Will Jackson, said: “Let’s Eat Balanced is doing what it was designed to do, providing clear, factual, evidence-led information about British food, nutrition and farming standards.
“Since the investigation began, we have conducted independent consumer research which found that the majority of respondents interpreted these adverts as relating to the production phase only, from farm to retail.
“This research provides important insight into consumer understanding and supports our belief that consumers were not misled by the information we shared in these two specific adverts.”
BENGALURU: India’s Gen Z workforce is embracing what experts describe as “portfolio careers” – balancing multiple professional identities and income streams simultaneously. New research from LinkedIn shows that 75% of Gen Z entrepreneurs in India now manage multiple income streams, significantly higher than the 62% among Gen X entrepreneurs. The findings point to a growing preference among younger professionals for flexibility, autonomy and diversified sources of income. “We’re also seeing the rise of the ‘portfolio era’, with more professionals creating multiple income streams and redefining what a career can look like. This shift is making entrepreneurship more accessible than ever before,” said LinkedIn India country manager Kumaresh Pattabiraman.Rather than depending on a single full-time role, many professionals are simultaneously building businesses, freelancing, consulting, creating online content and monetising specialised skills through digital platforms. The trend comes amid a broader rise in entrepreneurial activity in India. LinkedIn recorded a 104% year-on-year increase in members adding “Founder” to their profiles – the highest growth among all global markets.AI is also emerging as a major enabler of this shift. The report found that 85% of Gen Z entrepreneurs consider AI and digital tools important to their business operations.
Sam Altman said Elon Musk tried many times for total control of OpenAI, which he’s now suing.
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