The second leg of the 12th edition of the Mahindra Baja SAEIndia concluded in IIT Ropar. The first leg of the event was held in Pitampur. A total of 26 teams completed the exhilarating endurance event. Sandip Institute of Engineering and Management from Nashik won the mBaja title. Bangalore’s Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering bagged the second spot and Shri Guru Gobind Singhji Institute of Engineering and Technology, Nanded secured the third spot.
The 2.98km track consisted of loose sand, cliffs and slopes of 15-20 feets of height giving the students and their cars new challenges. Total 363 teams had registered in the 12th year of Baja SAEIndia series. Out of these only 251 teams qualified for the finale. However, only 46 teams for mBAJA made it to the Endurance round. This year witnessed participations from 4250 students from different parts of the country.
The four-day event starts with the basic static evaluation round that consists of design evaluation, cost evaluation and marketing presentation. The final round has the teams showcasing their single-seat, off-road recreational four-wheel vehicle prototypes. These cars were evaluated on various parameters, including engineering design, CAE, cost and technology innovation.
The teams were free to design their transmissions with the only restriction being the speed limit to 60 kmph. The dynamic evaluation round tested the vehicles’ acceleration, sledge pull, manoeuvrability and suspension and traction. Durability evaluation round saw the vehicles undergo endurance tests of four hours of BAJA. The endurance event assessed vehicle’s ability to operate continuously over rough terrain containing obstacles in any weather conditions.
Speaking about the successful event, Dr. Pawan Goenka, managing director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “The Baja SAEIndia is a one of its kind initiative which enables engineering students to apply what they have learnt within a practical space. With Innovation being a key enabler, it is very heartening to note the role played by IIT Ropar in furthering the cause of our upcoming and future engineers. The fact that Baja SAEIndia has grown to include the second leg at Ropar is a testimony to not only the competition but also of the institution’s capabilities within automobile engineering”.