[GTO]

Press Release

India’s leading auto-tech platform, CARS24, has officially acquired Team-BHP, the country’s most respected and fiercely independent automotive community. This strategic move signals a new era for India’s auto ecosystem, one where growth aligns with sincerity and information fosters profound trust.

For over two decades, Team-BHP has remained a beacon for trustworthy, community-led discourse in the world of cars and bikes. Nurtured by millions of dedicated car owners and built on the principles of truth, independence and a shared passion for all things automotive, the platform has empowered enthusiasts with unbiased reviews, highly detailed ownership experiences and razor-sharp insights, without commercial influences.

Team-BHP will continue to operate independently by its founding team, with the same zero-sponsored content policy, strict moderation, and community-first approach that has earned it unmatched credibility and respect. CARS24's involvement is focused on strengthening Team-BHP's product, technology and AI capabilities to improve the experience of its readers and community members.

“Team-BHP is not just a forum, it’s an institution,” said Vikram Chopra, Founder and CEO of CARS24. “As a brand that is equally obsessed with solving real problems for car and bike owners, we see this as a long-term investment in empowering India’s auto ecosystem with sharper conversations, richer insights and deeper trust.”

“Team-BHP has always been built on one thing - an uncompromising love for cars, and the honesty that love demands,” said Rush Parekh, Founder of Team-BHP. “With CARS24 backing us, and their technology and data layered into our platform, we can now build with more scale, more depth, and more intent. This is about giving enthusiasts and owners sharper tools and deeper insights, without ever losing the independence, transparency, and integrity that brought us all here in the first place.”

As part of this move, CARS24 will work with Team-BHP to improve platform capabilities, enhance the user experience and bring in new features that help members make smarter automotive decisions.

Together, the two companies envision a future where buying, selling and owning a vehicle in India becomes more fun, informed, intuitive and community-driven.

[GTO]

So, how are we going to continue redlining the Indian automotive scene?

• This spectacular forum – which is the heart & soul of Team-BHP.com – continues as the powerhouse it is today. And there is good reason for that; our forum is indisputably one of the best online communities in the world. Nothing changes about how the Team-BHP community functions. Not the forums. Not the reviews. Not the moderation. Not the independence. We will always say what we believe about this fascinating Indian auto industry that we’re a part of. We will firmly protect what makes this space different from every other platform in India.

• The truth is, we’ve been punching way above our weight, all thanks to the passionate members of Team-BHP. Last year, we did 210 million pageviews and had 4.4-crore visitors in total. It’s like we have a F-A-S-T race car today, running an 8-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine under the hood. The gurus at Cars24 are now going to bolt on a massive turbocharger to that motor! If Team-BHP was a car, then I’d say it started off as a homebuilt go-kart, moved to pro-karting sooner than expected…then flew through the Junior Formula classes, picking up a couple of championships along the way. It’s now in F1 & needs to be part of a strong team. Cars24 is that strong team.

• What changes on our forum? Nothing in soul & spirit, with the primary focus being on gradual enhancements to the features, technology & interface. To bring it up with the times. My role as the Forum Admin remains the same. Ditto for the Team-BHP Moderators. Your place as a BHPian stays exactly the same. Cars are in our blood, we live to drive, we love to share posts, and that experience is going to get better.

• What changes around the forum? A lot more. Just like how the mainstream cars of today boast cutting-edge technology (for instance, the new BE 6 & XEV 9e), Team-BHP also needs major advancements in tech. There are a lot of things planned, but here is a sneak preview of the things to come = Android & iOS Apps, a modern homepage, video reviews (finally!) to supplement our benchmark text + photo reviews and more (wait & watch ). Most importantly, today, BHPians & Team-BHP Fans visit other websites for their automotive needs (checking the on-road price of a Tata Safari in Hyderabad, as an example or running a specs comparison of the E-Class & 5-Series). And for services like paying traffic challans, topping-up FASTags, renewing their car insurance etc. We’re also going to have some useful AI tools on Team-BHP!

With time, we will offer a slew of new products & services that make Team-BHP the definitive destination for car & motorcycle owners in India. Cars24 has the best product & tech guys and they’re going to make sure of that. Importantly, our inputs are highly valued and they are listening to us at each & every stage. Not just me in person, but also you, based on what you post on threads.

• Furthermore, what this strategic move brings is long-term stability, the best-of-the-best resources, powerful backing and the personal support of the Cars24 founders.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the people & relationships. Cars24 has been a supporting partner of Team-BHP since 7 years now (including being on our homepage & navbar across the full website). This is us taking that relationship to an entirely different level. I am super excited about creating revolutionary new stuff with the extremely talented & highly-motivated Cars24 team.



When I started Team-BHP, I didn’t imagine this far ahead. I was just trying to build a little forum that stood for something — the sheer love of driving, truth, passion, fun, and recognition for the Indian car enthusiast. I wanted to create the space I wished existed. And then… all of you showed up!

Over the years, we’ve built something I never thought possible on that Valentine’s Day of 2004. A community that debates fiercely, shares generously, reviews ruthlessly, and always puts the truth first. We’ve protected our integrity like our life depended on it, because in many ways, it did. And we’ve said “no” more times than I can count. “No” to advertorial pressures. “No” to partnerships that didn’t feel right. “No” to paid reviews. “No” to growth if it meant giving up who we were.

This community, this platform, the “Team-BHP” name – they’ve been one of the most meaningful parts of my life. And I know it means just as much to many of you BHPians. Today, we begin a new chapter in that same Team-BHP story…now supported & strengthened by Cars24.

What we’re getting is not interference or control. What we’re getting is the ability to build faster. Build smarter. Build deeper. Better tech. Better infrastructure. Better ways to serve the people who matter most in the auto industry – car & motorcycle owners, enthusiasts, petrolheads, gearheads…remember, it is car owners like you & me that keep the massive auto industry running.

Thanks to every member of the core team (especially my dearest friend Rehaan), every Moderator, every BHPian, every Team-BHP fan and every visitor who has made Team-BHP the institution that it is. To everyone who believes in this crazy little corner of the internet, we’re only going to get stronger! And growth means more members, more content, more drives, more meets & more fun.

Keep Revvin’

[GTO]

A personal note from Vikram Chopra, Founder and CEO of CARS24

If you want to predict the future, look at where trust is accumulating.

That’s what we saw in Team-BHP, a forum where truth isn’t just posted, it’s protected. For two decades, it has stood against every short-term incentive, clickbait trend and commercial dilution. While most platforms scale by selling sponsored content, Team-BHP scaled by keeping its soul intact.

That’s rare. That’s powerful. And that’s why we invested.

At CARS24, we’ve always believed that trust is not a feature, it’s the whole product. And that trust is created when incentives align in favor of the user, not the system.

The automotive industry in India has evolved, but conversations around it haven’t. Forums that were once the heartbeat of community-driven advice have either faded away or become echo chambers of paid content. Team-BHP didn’t. It doubled down on truth, transparency and tenacity.

As we gear up for the future, I am certain that the next decade of car ownership in India is going to be information-first, insight-led and community-built. From EVs and insurance to ownership models and resale decisions, India’s car buyers will need better questions and sharper answers.

That is exactly what Team-BHP is currently doing. In 20+ years of its existence, it has survived algorithm shifts, platform changes and the constant noise of the internet because it was built on enduring values:

• Independent thinking

• Community-driven moderation

• A culture of deep, first-hand knowledge

• Real-world automotive content from actual car owners

We believe these are exactly the kinds of systems that deserve to be supported, especially at scale. We want Team-BHP to stay what it is, independent, user-first, brutally honest but we also want to help it become faster, more robust and more future-ready.

Our investment in Team-BHP is not about control. It’s about preservation and progress.

• Preserving the standards they’ve held for 20+ years.

• Progressing the tools and reach they’ll need for the next 20.

This is our bet on users over influencers. Forums over feeds. It’s a reminder that the most useful technology is the one that builds trust, not just transactions.

We're excited to learn, contribute and quietly power the next chapter of this remarkable automotive community. Because the future of car ownership in India deserves spaces that are as honest as the people driving it.

To Rush Parekh and everyone who’s contributed to this community: You’ve done something exceptional, you’ve built a brand people don’t just follow, they defend. That kind of trust is priceless. And our job now is to protect it together, not disrupt it.

This is one of the most values-aligned partnerships we’ve ever made. And we believe it’s a small but meaningful step toward a more trustworthy auto ecosystem in India.

Let’s go.

[GTO]

The apt T-Shirt we proudly wore!

And one that's really special to me - Cars24 was the only one to give us a huge shoutout on our 20th birthday (in 2024)! Putting those stickers together proved prophetic!