Kalka Prasad from West Motors, Chandigarh gets Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic Award from Sachin Tendulkar

Release date: 21 October 2011

Mumbai, 21st October 2011: Mumbai today witnessed the national finals of the Castrol Golden Spanner Awards - a search for India’s best car mechanic. Cricket maestro and Castrol brand ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar, presented the All India Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic Award to Kalka Prasad from West Motors in Chandigarh.

The competition which was held over two months, across 16 cities, drew participation from over 300 mechanics competing to showcase their skills and knowledge about car repair and maintenance. The top 17 mechanics were selected from across the country for the finals which were held in Mumbai in the presence of Sachin Tendulkar – a car enthusiast himself.

Commenting on this unique initiative by Castrol, Sachin Tendulkar said, “Passion, performance and innovation have been synonymous with Castrol; be it their product brands, partnerships or consumer promotion programs. With Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic Awards, Castrol has provided an opportunity for mechanics to showcase their skills. I love cars and personally along with the mechanics ensure that they are well maintained and in peak condition. Interacting with the mechanics today was a very interesting experience and I got quite a few useful tips on maintenance!”

The national finals of the Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic contest held in Mumbai, today had three rounds of contests including – a Quiz, Jigsaw puzzle round and a live car diagnostic / repair test. Competing against his fellow mechanics, Kalka Prasad excelled in all the games, winning 3 rounds. Kalka Prasad displayed extra-ordinary knowledge and skills related to cars and car repair.

Beaming with joy at receiving the All India Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic Award, Kalka Prasad said, “This day will be etched in my memory for a lifetime. To have won the title of All India Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic Award for 2011 is an honor by itself, but to receive the award from my hero Sachin Tendulkar is unbelievable".

Manoj Sahay, General Manager- Marketing, Passenger Car Oils, Castrol India Limited said, “The Castrol Golden Spanner Awards, the search for India’s best car mechanic has culminated with a great experience for mechanics. Through this program, we reached out to over 20,000 mechanics across the country and hope to continue this endeavor to help mechanics enhance their skills and get their due recognition in society”.

The Castrol Golden Spanner Ustaad Mechanic contest had a number of exciting prizes for the winners. These included a Grand prize of Rs. 4 lakhs which the winner could use to upgrade his garage, a Tata Nano Car and be featured on the Castrol GTX engine oil packs. The National Silver winner won a TATA Nano Car and Cash Award of Rs. 1 lakh and the National Bronze winner won a Tata Nano Car. All the finalists will also receive training at the Castrol Academy and commendation certificates. All city final winners were awarded pure gold and silver spanners along with training and commendation certification from the Castrol academy.