Beyond Conventional Wheels: BAJA SAEINDIA 2024 initiates Virtual Round at Chitkara University

Chandigarh, December 1, 2023: BAJA SAEINDIA, the flagship event of SAEINDIA, stands as a pinnacle in collegiate engineering design competitions. Encompassing the ingenuity of aspiring engineers, participating teams undertake the comprehensive process of conceptualizing, designing, modelling, analyzing, manufacturing, validating and competing with a single-seater ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle). Each year, BAJA SAEINDIA engages with a substantial cohort of 5,000 to 10,000 engineering students nationwide. This year, with 164 participating teams, the event will be organized in 3 parts for the 2024 season, each phase more challenging than the last one. The continuance of virtual events has in turn enabled the participation of international teams, demonstrating the vast scope of the event. With the theme set as “Multiverse of Mobility'', BAJA SAEINDIA aims to diversify and broaden the competition's scope and empower the student fraternity, equipping them with the skills needed to overcome diverse challenges, surmount obstacles, gain robust technical expertise, and metamorphose into professionals ready for the dynamic workplace landscape. Today, alumni of BAJA SAEINDIA are employed by most automakers all around the world.

With a vision of a smarter, safer and sustainable future, BAJA SAEINDIA expanded its focus to explore options to find feasible solutions. Hydrogen-based internal combustion engines are certainly a step in the right direction and BAJA SAEINDIA is heading towards the same with the hBAJA category. Currently to ease the pressure on student teams, BAJA SAEINDIA has introduced CNG-based bi-fuel injected engines for the 2024 season and will slowly progress toHydrogen. Similarly, with evolving technology and the gradual takeover of ADAS &AI, BAJA SAEINDIA wanted to encourage students to take part in this evolution thereby introducing aBAJA (Autonomous BAJA). Currently, with the support from various organizations from the industry, BAJA SAEINDIA has successfully introduced this category.     

The Virtual Round of BAJA SAEINDIA 2024 commenced with a press conference organized by the host institute, Chitkara University.  I V Rao, Chair of SAEINDIA EEB and Distinguished Fellow at TERI gave the welcome address.

Talking about how BAJA SAEINDIA is playing a vital role in shaping next generation of Mobility Engineers, Dr. K C Vora, Advisor, BAJA SAEINDIA and Professor of Practice at Chitkara University said, “BAJA SAEINDIA is dedicated to bridging the gap between the Industry and Academia. This competition serves as a proving ground for engineering undergraduates and postgraduates, who in the process of building a single seater ATV, learn important technical and non-technical skills which makes them industry-ready by simulating such an environment”. He added, “This year, the theme is Multiverse of Mobility, where besides mBAJA (with 10 HP IC Engine) and eBAJA (with 9 kW eMotor and Lithium-Ion Swappable Batteries) categories, we have introduced aBAJA (Autonomous BAJA) and hBAJA (Hydrogen BAJA) to be at-par with the industry. This will benefit the sponsor organizations, since they would be able to select the best team members and give them on-the-spot placement offers in the BAJA SAEINDIA HR Meet ''.

BAJA SAEINDIA is nothing without its supporters and partners and Chitkara University since last many years has been an inseparable element of BAJA SAEINDIA. Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Pro-Chancellor at Chitkara Universitysaid, “In our commitment to fostering a skilled society and advancing research and innovation through collaborations with industry and academic institutions, Chitkara University aligns seamlessly with the vision of BAJA SAEINDIA. Our partnership, initiated in 2015, reflects our shared dedication. Serving as the host institute for Virtual BAJA SAEINDIA over the past six years, we take immense pride in our ongoing support for this program. As we continue this journey together, we remain steadfast in our resolve to empower budding engineers, nurture innovation, and contribute to the growth of the automotive landscape in India. Chitkara University is honoured to be an integral part of BAJA SAEINDIA, driving excellence and shaping the future of mobility.”

The event brings together students from various engineering backgrounds around the world. They unite in their shared passion for learning, embracing new experiences, and embodying a spirit of sportsmanship. Emphasizing the significance of diversity within both BAJA SAEINDIA and the broader mobility industry, Armelle Guerin, Vice-President, Software & ADAS at Renault Nissan Technology and Business Centre India said, “Each BAJA SAEINDIA event marks the convergence of hard work, creativity, and technical brilliance among the young minds. It’s a stage for innovation and cultivating tomorrow's automotive leaders.Celebrating diversity and collaboration fuels our journey in the automotive industry forward. This year, Renault Nissan Tech is delighted to offer, for the first time, an overall award for Top all girls’ team and an opportunity to do an internship at our Technical Centre. This initiative reflects our commitment to equal opportunities, aiming to inspire and empower the next generation of female engineers.”
 

The Virtual Round is the second phase of BAJA SAEINDIA, with the event spanning over three days from 1st to 3rd December 2023. Virtual Sales Event, Go Green Event, and Virtual Dynamic Event of Maneuverability are the events that will be conducted on the first day. Then, VirtualDesign Evaluation Event, Cost Event and Virtual Dynamic All Terrain Performance will be held the following day.

The Third Phase of BAJA SAEINDIA 2024 is poised to elevate the competition to new heights, with events scheduled at three distinct locations. Commencing the series, mBAJA and hBAJA will showcase their prowess in January 2024 at NATRAX, Pithampur. Following suit in March 2024, the spotlight shifts to BV Raju Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, as eBAJA takes center stage. The grand culmination is anticipated tentatively in June 2024 at ARAI’s Takwe near Pune, where aBAJA is set to bring the competition to its zenith. These strategically chosen venues promise a culmination of technical excellence and spirited competition, further underscoring the event's significance in shaping the future of mobility.