Why, you might wonder, is it such big news that a 45-year-old motivational speaker from Indore has got a permanent driving licence. It is because Vikram Agnihotri, a double amputee, drives with his legs, and is perhaps the first person without arms to get a driving licence. Agnihotri, who also runs a gas agency and is currenty pursuing LLB, said driving helps him feel "liberated".

"I used to have a full-time driver. But then I realised... you cannot depend on anyone for your basic needs."

He has an automatic gear shift car, and he holds the steering wheel with his right foot, with the left on the accelerator.

When he applied for a permanent licence in October 2015, Agnihotri was asked to take a rigorous driving test on a heavy-vehicle track. "My application was rejected on the grounds that I cannot give hand signals while driving," he said.

It was a cruel blow for Agnihotri, but, undeterred, he approached the transport commissioner's tribunal in Gwalior. Thereafter, he was given a technical reason for the rejection.

"I was told my car was not designed according to a differently-abled person's needs. But modifying a car in this manner is not common," said Agnihotri. However, after much effort, he got it done.