Bani Yadav

Early life and career

Hailing from Lucknow and raised in Delhi, Bani Mathur Yadav traces her lineage to Lala KanjiMal Mathur, the Jagirdar of Madanpur in today's Ferozabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Her family, the Mathurs, were the former ruling landowners of Madanpur. Her paternal grandfather, Raghubir Sahai Mathur, numbered among the first Chief Engineers of the Municipal Corporation of the United Provinces (later Uttar Pradesh). Her maternal grandfather, Hari Narayan Mathur, served as the first Transport Commissioner of the United Provinces after independence.

She attended Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, earned a Geography degree from the University of Delhi, and later a diploma in Advertising and Public Relations. Her love for automobiles began early; she first drove at age thirteen. She married her high school friend Suresh Yadav. That same year, her initial racing experience sparked a competitive drive, leading her to enter the 2013 Jaipur Speed Sprint at age 43, finishing second.

She became the fastest woman driver in the 2015 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. In October 2013, a severe spine injury required two back surgeries and six months of recovery before she returned to racing.

Achievements

Yadav claimed the National Autocross Champion (Women) title in both 2018 and 2019. She was the first woman to secure second place in Rally De North, part of the Indian Rally. In 2015, she became the first woman to win the Asia Pacific Rally Cup of Coffee Day Rally in the Indian Rally championship women's category, and also took first in Class 2000cc at that event. She placed fourth in the Asia Pacific Rally Cup rally and third in the 1650cc category of the Maruti Suzuki National Autocross championship in 2016.

She was the first Indian woman to officially drive a Formula 4 car outside India at the Abu Dhabi Yas Marina Circuit and tested PS4 sports tyres for Michelin. She is the only Indian woman to receive an International Doctorate in MotorSports (Management) from the Commonwealth Vocational University of Tonga. Additional honors include the Nirbhaya Jyoti National Woman Achiever Award 2018, the Main Hoon Beti Award 2018 from the Uttar Pradesh administration, and recognition as one of the top four woman achievers on the eve of the 70th year of India's Independence by Doordarshan in 2017.