- 185 colleges from 414 entries qualify for the finale
Pune, November 18, 2016: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. in association with SAEINDIA, a
professional Society of Automotive Engineers, today announced the commencement of the
tenth edition of the much awaited BAJA series. The finale will be held at the NATRIP facility at
Pithampur near Indore, from February 16th till Feb 21st, 2017. About 414 entries were received
for BAJA SAEINDIA 2017, out of which 150 teams were shortlisted for conventional BAJA and
34 teams were shortlisted for eBAJA in the virtual round.
BAJA SAEINDIA has also rolled out eBAJA series, to leverage the onset of Electric Mobility in
India. The mBAJA vehicles run on 10 HP B&S Gasoline Engine, common for all 150 teams,
whereas eBAJA vehicles will run on electricity, propelled by an electric motor and powered by a
rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack.
The three day event will include Technical Inspection, Static Evaluation such as Design, Cost &
Sales Presentation and Dynamic Events such as Acceleration, Hill Climb, Suspension-Traction
& Maneuverability. The endurance round for mBAJA will be held on February 19th, whereas
eBAJA will be held on February 18th, 2017.
A remarkable feature unique to BAJA SAEINDIA is the adoption of a new theme every year.
The theme for BAJA 2017 is ‘Decade of Dream Dare & Drive’, which celebrates 10 glorious
years of BAJA SAEINDIA. 10 years of students Dreaming to do things by applying alternative
thinking, Daring to turn their Dreams into reality by accepting no limits and Driving a positive
change towards a brighter future.
For BAJA 2017, 24 colleges from Pune are among the 53 entries from Maharashtra that have
qualified for the finale. For the last few editions of BAJA series, the maximum number of entries
from Maharashtra has been from the city of Pune. Colleges from Pune have won the maximum
number of awards in the finale in the last few years. In BAJA 2016, the coveted title was won by
College of Engineering, Pune, followed by Alard College of Engineering, also from Pune. Smt.
Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune was declared as the winner of the ‘Best eBAJA
Team’.
For the BAJA finale, entries from engineering colleges from across the country were screened
at the Virtual Round held at Christ University, Bengaluru in June of 2016, where they presented
their Designs for the BAJA Buggy vehicle that they wished to design for the final event.
The qualifying teams were selected through a thorough analysis and comparison of their written
test, CAD Designs, the CAE analysis and the designs of Roll Cage, Suspension, Steering &
Brakes. The entries presented at the virtual BAJA were mock-ups that would be created with
exact specifications by the participants. The teams in the final round would showcase their
skills, understanding and passion for automobiles while having manufactured their own buggy
race car.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra
Ltd said, “Mahindra is delighted to be associated with BAJA SAEINDIA 2017 as the title
sponsor. With BAJA, we are taking forward the philosophy of Mahindra Rise to the next level.
Year on year, there has been an increase in participation from colleges and this is a testimony
to BAJA SAEINDIA’s growing popularity and its national significance. We at Mahindra believe
the future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams. As we celebrate a Decade
of Dreams, I am glad that BAJA SAEINDIA has been a forum that gives young engineering
talent the platform to turn those dreams into a reality.”
Mr Ravi Kharul, Convener BAJA SAEINDIA 2017 & Chief Technological Officer,
Endurance Technologies said “Mahindra BAJA SAEINDIA has been one of the most
magnificent automotive event in the country since the past 10 years. As this great competition
completes a decade of its existence, we feel proud at having given the students a unique
platform, where theory meets practicality. Like every year, this edition too, has been met with
immense energy, with a total of 413 teams registering for the initial virtual round, and the best
185, consisting of 150 mBAJA, 34 eBAJA, and one international team, making it to the main
event. Keeping BAJA in line with our larger goals of facilitating sustainable mobility across the
country, electric BAJA has also garnered great appreciation, witnessing an increase of over
50% in the total participation from last year. The eBAJA teams are also being supported via a
subsidy of 2 Lakhs INR by the BAJA SAEINDIA Organizing Committee.”
Dr. K C Vora, Sr. Deputy Director at ARAI & Chairman of SAEINDIA Western Section is
the Advisor & Spokesperson of BAJA SAEINDIA further explained that, “BAJA is an out-of-
classroom initiative of SAEINDIA and one of the most exciting events for students in Western
India. It has become an international event and a brand of its own. Awards worth INR 33 Lakhs
would be given to students in various events. From next year, we are planning to conduct two
BAJA events: one in Pithampur and one in the northern part of India. I would like to thank
sponsors such as Mahindra and BPCL for extending their support since the past 10 years.”
