Chitkara University Drives Future of Automotive Innovation with BAJA SAEINDIA
Chitkara University hosted the Virtual Round of BAJA SAEINDIA 2024, a groundbreaking event that stands at the forefront of collegiate engineering design competitions. The Virtual Round witnessed the convergence of 164 participating teams, engaging over 1,000,000 engineering students across the nation, marking a significant milestone in the competition’s illustrious history.
Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Pro-Chancellor, Chitkara University; Armelle Guerin, VP Software and ADAS Renault Nissan Technology and Business Centre India; Dr. Archana Mantri, Vice Chancellor, Chitkara University, Punjab; IV Rao, Chairman EEB, SAEINDIA; Dr. KC Vora, Advisor BAJA SAEINDIA; and Jatin Garg, Convenor BAJA SAEINDIA 2024, graced the occasion.
Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Pro-Chancellor at Chitkara University, said, “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, which was 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.”
Talking about how BAJA SAEINDIA is playing a vital role in shaping the 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 that make 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 on par with the industry. This will benefit the sponsor organisations 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.”.
ABOUT BAJA SAEINDIA
BAJA SAEINDIA is an educational pursuit for engineering college students, an out-of-classroom-education system, where engineering students can participate as a team, giving them pragmatic exposure to real-world challenges as faced in the industry. Originally started in the USA by the SAE International as Mini BAJA SAE, today it is being organised in several countries. In India, it has been organised as BAJA SAEINDIA since 2007: An engineering student-level competition in which teams from universities all over the country participate with a self-designed and self-run ATV. This is evaluated over a series of Static, Dynamic and Endurance events. Over the years, BAJA SAEINDIA has grown in numbers and has become a bigger event nationally and, over the past years, expanded internationally as well. It serves as a platform for young engineering talent to showcase their skills and acquire real-life experience while overcoming obstacles and challenges – critical for their long-term success.
ABOUT HBAJA & ABAJA
The addition of two new categories was initiated by the BAJA SAEINDIA Organising Committee under the guidance of the Steering Committee. BAJA SAEINDIA has partnered with various organizations to effectively introduce the new categories. HBAJA (Hydrogen BAJA) and aBAJA (Autonomous BAJA) represent the recent technology in the mobility Industry. BAJA SAEINDIA prides itself on being the torchbearer of making technology accessible to engineering students, and it was only natural for these categories to be included in BAJA SAEINDIA 2024 and onwards. With a gradual transition from CNG to complete hydrogen-based engines, BAJA SAEINDIA aims to achieve this in the coming years. To bring this to fruition, proof of concepts of HBAJA and ABAJA is being created by the BAJA SAEINDIA team to serve as a demo for all the teams in India. While eBAJA was an endeavour sparked by the comments of Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, it was imperative for the Steering & Organizing Committee to continue to uphold the late President’s legacy of advancing education and learning.
