Niranjan Ovhal’s story

Niranjan Ovhal, 27, was crowned the winner of the Covid Resilience Award in the Global Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2022. His business Simforge Engineering, based in India, manufactures simulation racing pedals. He was supported to fund and grow his business through YBI member BYST.

Simforge Engineering is an excellent example of a business that didn’t just overcome the struggles of COVID-19, but incredibly successfully harnessed the opportunities. During lockdowns, more people were stuck at home wanting to play video games but, for many, quality auto racing games were unaffordable. Niranjan overcame the many practical problems lockdowns presented to his supply chain and workforce to take advantage of this growing demand and grow his business which manufactures affordable hardware to simulate auto racing (‘sim racing’) on PC, complete with real-world variables such as fuel usage and tyre wear.

“BYST’s support was pivotal in teaching me the fundamentals of becoming an entrepreneur through its huge network,” says Niranjan.

“With BYST’s help, I was able to secure a bank loan through one of its partner banks. The mentors assigned to me were always there to guide and assist me in every possible way.”

Simforge Engineering is now the first and only sim racing gear manufacturer in India and exports to 43 countries. With products available at half to one-third of the price of his competitors, it has enabled people around the world to start sim racing, paving the way for new communities to form and grow. The company also offers special discounts to students, underprivileged youth and educational institutions.

Whilst many businesses shrunk due to COVID-19, at Simforge Engineering sales increased by 1,129% within a year, with three official distributors and firm shipping contracts in place. Their mission is to start manufacturing the entire Sim Racing ecosystem, and they plan to set up offices in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Their vision is to see a sim racing setup in every home in India and more international motorsport drivers emerge from developing countries.