Winners Declared as mBAJA SAEINDIA Student Engineering Competition Concludes

BAJA SAEINDIA, an annual student engineering competition, challenges teams from across India to design, build and test their own all-terrain vehicles, before entering them in demanding real-world competitions. The event has grown to encompass separate mBAJA (IC engine), eBAJA (electric), hBAJA (hydrogen-CNG hybrid), and aBAJA (autonomous) categories. Following the eBAJA and hBAJA finals at the beginning of this year, the mBAJA winners have now been declared.

The overall winner of mBAJA SAEINDIA 2026 was Team Piranha Racing from Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune. The first runner-up was Team Euros Racing from KLE Technological University, and the second runner-up was DYPCET Vectors from D. Y. Patil College of Engineering and Technology, Kolhapur.

Now in its 19th year, the grand finale of the competition was held at B. V. Raju Institute of Technology (BVRIT). This year’s theme was “Torque to Triumph”. Students competed in multiple static and dynamic rounds before the finale, demonstrating their concepts, designs, analysis, and fabrication techniques. Teams were evaluated for their abilities to manage cost and sustainability as well as technical ability. Practical tests included acceleration, sled pull, maneuverability, and suspension & traction to assess vehicle power delivery, stability, and off-road performance.

A highlight of the event is the real-world endurance test, which is the most demanding phase of each BAJA SAEINDIA category. Teams needed to demonstrate the durability, reliability, and robustness of their ATVs in an off-road course designed to simulate real-world terrain.

This year, students were able to base their designs around the Honda GX430 engine, which was offered to all teams at a subsidised cost by Honda India Power Products. This engine is rated for 425 cc displacement, delivering 12.87 hp @ 3600 rpm and 27.7 Nm of peak torque @ 2500 rpm. Bharat Petroleum Corporation supplied premium MFA Speed High Performance Petrol (95+ octane) and High-Speed Diesel for the competition. Other industry partners supporting the competition included J K Tyre & Industries and MathWorks.

The event also included a panel discussion titled “Out of Classroom Education: Experiential Learning Pedagogy”. An HR meet was also organised, for participants to interact with executives from potential employers includingJ K Tyre & Industries, TVS Motor Company, and Varroc. All participants undertook a BAJA Assessment Test (BAT), and shortlisted candidates were invited to interviews and group discussions. Mahesh Babu, Managing Director of Olectra Greentech, was Chief Guest at the valedictory ceremony, and Shravan Kumar, Territory Manager – Retail, Bharat Petroleum was Guest of Honour.

BAJA SAEINDIA began in 2007 as an offshoot of the Mini BAJA SAE competition in the USA, held by SAE International. BAJA SAEINDIA has been held in India since 2007.and has become a well-known student engineering event, offering a blend of technical challenges, industry engagement, and experiential learning.