Solo trip to Berlin gave Lohia Auto boss leadership, history lessons; South America on his 2020 to-do list

Ayush Lohia, CEO of Lohia Auto, says he learnt the importance of leadership, determination and passion through his travels.

First trip alone
“For my first solo trip, I wanted to visit a city with history, and so I chose Berlin. It’s one of the few places in the world that you need to experience and feel, rather than just visualise. I went there around 10 years ago. While I was overwhelmed by the beauty and architecture of the city, I was also constantly reminded of its history and the importance of the places where I stood. It’s a city with a questionable past, but it’s also the place where famous philosophers like Immanuel Kant and Karl Marx lived. I learnt a lot during this trip, as it made me realise the importance of leadership and that we should learn from our past. I also realised that with determination and passion, nothing is impossible.”

Out of my comfort zone

“While on a holiday in Masai Mara National Reserve in Africa a few years ago, we had an issue with our vehicle. During that time, we had these gigantic African elephants nearby. While transferring to another vehicle, one of them started coming towards us. I was told to stand my ground and face the animal. It was unnerving, but I followed the guide’s instructions. To my surprise, the elephant retreated. It serves as a reminder that no matter how big the problem, you can overcome any hurdle if you believe in your gut.”

A friend for life
“I made a friend for life in Japan. One of the key reasons we bonded was because I didn’t understand Japanese, and he was able to translate things for me. But I realised that there are many things that we had in common, and that is how our friendship grew.”

Journey cut short
“I was in London in August 2011 and I witnessed the England riots. It happened all of a sudden, and lasted a couple of weeks. I cut the trip short and had to come back.”

Bucket-list destinations
“The list is long, but at the top right now is South America. I want to see some of the amazing countries down there like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador. Peru and Puerto Rico are also among the countries I want to see, as is Venezuela. I am making plans to visit a few of these in the coming year. Not sure which would be ticked off first.”
A place to return to
“It would be Switzerland for its lakes that make it one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Switzerland is so beautiful that it’s like heaven on earth. I would love to visit Lake Lucerne, Lake Zurich and Lake Thun again.”