BAJA SAEINDIA 2026 Student ATV Design Competition Concludes With Grand Finale Endurance Race at Natrax Test Track

The five-day BAJA SAEINDIA 2026 contest for student engineers concluded on Sunday at the Natrax test track in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh with a final endurance race between all qualifying teams. The event sees students from all over India conceptualise, design, fabricate, and race their own all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in an effort to demonstrate their theoretical skills in a practical situation. 

Out of 91 participating teams, 53 cleared the initial technical inspection and safety evaluation rounds including brake, acceleration, suspension, traction and manoeuvrability tests to be able to reach the grand finale. Online presentation rounds were held before the five-day event. The competitors were divided into eBAJA teams for electric and hBAJA teams for hydrogen-powered ATVs.

The overall winner and recipient of a ₹75,000 prize was Team Aaryans from the Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli, followed by Team Amigos from the Vishnu Institute of Technology and Team Demons from the Government College of Engineering, Karad.

Thomas James, Regional Head (West), Bharat Petroleum, was the Chief Guest of the valedictory ceremony.

Saurabh Dalela, Director, International Centre for Automotive Technology, said “Student competitions like this are where learning truly comes alive. I am proud to see young engineers step beyond classrooms, apply theory to real-world challenges, and demonstrate teamwork, resilience, and innovation under pressure. Such platforms not only sharpen technical competence but also build the mindset needed to lead the future of engineering and mobility.”

Dr Arun Jaura, CTO, JK Tyre & Industries, added “This is an event where you learn to make mistakes and you learn to correct them. Collaboration is the key in BAJA SAEINDIA where students bring something new in the pipeline.”

The annual competition originated in the USA as Mini BAJA SAE by SAE International, and is now held in multiple countries. BAJA SAEINDIA has been held in India since 2007.