Baja SAEINDIA: Engineering Extravaganza

Held at the NATRIP grounds on the outskirts of Indore the JK Tyre Baja SAEINDIA event witnessed over 1500 students from 58 colleges participating  in the Indian chapter of the Baja event to build the best off road vehicle.  The event was supported by top conglomerates from the auto industry as well as other associate and allied industries. Each team was provided with a Mahindra transmission and a Lombardini 11 HP engine. The design of the chassis was up to the engineering team to build. Once built, the vehicles were scrutinized by a team of 60 judges on a variety of parameters.

Each student team put together a vehicle that would compete at the NATRAX facility of NATRIP. The vehicles were tested on durability which involved a 3 hour race on a rough track that stretched for 3.36km (per lap). The endurance test involved jumps, banks, hill climbing as well as traversing over muddy patches and through a sand pit. Further to this, each vehicle had to drive through watery areas, rocky areas, over wooden logs and show prove its mettle on steep slopes as well.

The team which won the overall championship (Dynamic & Static) was Sant Logewal Institute of Technology, Punjab, IIT Mumbai won the award for Max Speed and Acceleration, while the Hill Climb and Maneuverability award was won by Sant Longwal Institute of Technology, Punjab.

The biggest award of Engineering Design was bagged by IIT Mumbai and Technology Innovation Award went to CITM, Faridabad. The special award - The chairman award, went to Dr. MGR College of Engineering, Chennai.  

Students from across the country received awards. First prize of Green vehicle award - was received by Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, Delhi, the only all girls team in the event which recorded CO emission of 0.02 percentage volume and HC emission of 30 ppm, while the KK Wagh college of Engineering, Nasik received the second award. The Virtual Baja competition which was held in Chennai last week witnessed winners from Vellore Institute of Technology, Krishna Institute of Engineering and Technology, Ghaziabad, College of Engineering, Pune. The Best Design Report was given to AD Patel Institute of Technology, Gujarat.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. K.C. Vora, Secretary, SAE INDIA, stated, "Baja SAE India is an HR initiative of the automotive industry where we want to create 25 million automotive engineers in coming 10 years. For this it is necessary that the students get full exposure on practical aspects of design, analysis, fabrication, cost, assembly, quality performance and endurance. The Baja SAE INDIA event provides an enhanced platform for students to show their engineering prowess."

Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Mahindra & Mahindra, added," This is the best platform and I was amazed to see the ability in our country. I must say it is a very strong start of this event and we need such support for the industry and I am proud of the spirits the students have shown working for more than 18 hours for last 6 months." 

In its second year, the Baja India chapter has already proved why it is such a valuable event for college students as appointment letters to over 60 students were handed out at the awards ceremony. Further to this, SAE INDIA is planning on competing on the international arena by 2010 in countries such as China and Japan.  This will give the students a heightened level of competition as well as urge them to achieve even more in order to compete on the international platform.