F1: Over 20,000 tickets sold for Indian Grand Prix

Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) that will host India's first ever F1 Grand Prix on its track next month, said on Monday that it has already sold over 20 per cent of the total one lakh tickets available for the event.

"We have already sold more than 20,000 tickets, mostly online...all the tickets priced at Rs 2,500 each have been sold out and now people are buying the more expensive ones," JPSI Joint-President Bipul Pathak told reporters here.

"There is also very good response for the platinum and gold category tickets...a lot of corporates and celebrities are buying them, but we can't disclose names," he said.

The company has priced the tickets between Rs 2,500 and Rs 35,000 for the event.

"Around 7,000 tickets are priced at Rs 2,500, which have all been sold out," a company official said.

He, however, did not provide value of the tickets sold so far. A total of one lakh tickets have been put out on sale through JPSI's online booking partner and at physical retail counters.

JPSI had earlier said it expects to garner about Rs 150 crore from ticket sales of the race to be held at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) built with an investment of Rs 1,700 crore.

JPSI on Monday announced a five year partnership with automobile firm Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, which will provide 25 Scorpios as official intervention and support vehicles.

Earlier, JPSI had tied up with luxury car maker Mercedes Benz India which will provide safety car for events organised on BIC.

"There is a lot of scope for automobile companies to partner with the BIC as it will help them in branding," Pathak said.