Chandhok gets ride

The 23-year-old Chennai racer, winner of last year's Asian Formula Renault V6 championship, will drive for Italy-based former race winners Durango in the 11-race event which kicks off in Bahrain this weekend.

"The drivers competing all come with a massive pedigree behind them with a lot of them bringing Formula 1 experience which will undoubtedly be beneficial," Chandhok said.

"My aim for the season is certainly to score the odd points in the first half of the season and then aim to be a regular point scorer by the end."

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said he had been guiding and supporting Chandhok in his quest to compete in GP2 as the Indian progresses towards Formula One

"When we conceptualised the GP2 series two years ago, it was to create a highly competitive series for drivers as a final stepping stone which prepares them in the best way possible for Formula One," Ecclestone said in a statement.

"The emergence of a large number of drivers in the F1 pit-lane today bears testimony to the strength of the series."

Interest in motor racing rose dramatically in the country after Narain Karthikeyan became India's Formula One driver in 2005. Karthikeyan, who raced for Jordan that year, is now a Williams test driver.