A passionate group of Rotarians within the Rotary Fellowship groups, which are an integral part of the Rotary movement aiming to bring together Rotarians from across the world who share a common passion or hobby, is the International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians (IFMR). Its India chapter was established in 2003 by the late PDG Prithvi Raval, with its headquarters in Bengaluru, says Vinod Agarwal, a member of the Rotary Club of Bangalore Lakeside, RID 3191, who has just taken over as the president of the Indian chapter of this fellowship.
The fellowship itself originated in Australia in 1993 and has since grown into a global network comprising 55 chapters with over 6,000 members. The India chapter today has over 700 members spread across 15 cities.
Explaining the core ethos of this motorcycling group, he says, “The true spirit of IFMR lies in combining the joy of motorcycling with Rotary’s commitment to service. By connecting Rotarians beyond club boundaries, the fellowship strengthens friendships while supporting meaningful Rotary initiatives. Over the years, IFMR India has undertaken several impactful rides dedicated to causes such as literacy, relief during the Covid pandemic, mental health awareness, the End Polio campaign, and most recently, protecting the environment and promoting health awareness.”
One of its landmark initiatives had 28 Rotarians riding from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, carrying Rotary’s message of service across the country.
As with all the core areas/functions of Rotary, the leadership of IFMR India changes in July every year. As Agarwal took over the India chapter’s leadership, a group of 45 Rotarians came together to mark the beginning of the new Rotary year, and participate in a breakfast ride to Rocky Ridge Bikers Café, a scenic destination located about 75km from Bengaluru.
At 6.30am on a cool, breezy morning on July 1, the group of Rotarians, including two women members, assembled at the starting point. This group included nine past presidents, three founder members, and many enthusiastic members from across the chapter. “After an enjoyable 90-minute ride, the riders reached Rocky Ridge — a haven designed especially for motorcyclists, complete with dedicated spaces for riding gear, helmet storage, and comfortable rest areas. We spent some time exploring the picturesque property, catching up with fellow riders, and clicking memorable photographs before gathering for a sumptuous breakfast buffet.”
The highlight of the morning was installation of Agarwal as the India chapter’s 17th president for RY 2026–27. The installation ceremony was conducted by IFMR’s world secretary Prashanth Babu. Adding to the celebrations, three new Rotarian bikers were inducted into the fellowship. The newly-elected office-bearers were formally installed and presented with their name badges.
Addressing the enthusiastic bikers, Agarwal shared his vision and roadmap for the coming year, reaffirming the fellowship’s commitment to strengthening camaraderie while advancing Rotary’s service initiatives through responsible motorcycling. He also emphasised the India chapter’s “enduring motto: Ride with passion, responsibly.” By 10.45am, the riders began their return journey to Bengaluru, riding together in their signature disciplined formation.
Agarwal himself started his motorcycle journey during his college days in Chennai on an IndSuzuki motorcycle when he was 20 years old. Currently he rides a Super Meteor 650cc bike from Royal Enfield.
His dream bike? “An adventure bike from Harley Davidson of course. I have personally done all the bucket list adventure rides of India starting from Ladakh, Spiti Valley, Seven Sisters North-East States Ride, K2K — the Kanyakumari to Kashmir ride, an international ride to Bhutan, and many long-distance rides to Goa.” He has also participated in the Mental Health Awareness ride covering 4,000km in Zone 7 of Rotary in India.
Asked to elaborate on his advice to the riders who participated in the breakfast meet to always ensure they do responsible motorcycling, Agarwal says, “That means ours is a group of riders with a lot of discipline, no overtaking, no night riding, no drinking while on rides, no racing, giving proper ride signals to other riders on the road, no leaving a rider in the lurch in case the latter is struggling with a breakdown. The list is endless!”
On what is in store for his fellow members during his year as the Fellowship president, he says, “Our biking calendar is full, and we have planned many overnight rides to places like Coorg, Goa, Cochin, Karaikudi, Udupi etc.”
Breakfast rides on the first Sunday of every month covering distances between 150km and 400km are also on the list. A much more exciting long-adventure ride to Ladakh is in early stages of preparation, with 21 riders participating. This will begin on Aug 21 and end on Sep 5. On the anvil is also an inbound international ride early next year (Jan 13 to 24). “In this we are expecting over 20 international riders to join. We plan to take them to Gujarat to showcase the colourful Rann of Kutch festival and other interesting places such as Dholavira, the Gir forest, and the like,” adds Agarwal.
Rotarians interested in becoming part of the fellowship can contact:+91 95913 82390