12th Edition of Mahindra BAJA SAEINDIA 2019 kicks off in Indore

251 colleges from 363 entries qualify for the finale Indore, January 23, 2019: SAEINDIA, a professional Society of Automotive Engineers, today flagged off the twelfth edition of the much awaited BAJA series. The finale of the event, with Mahindra as a title sponsor and approximately 40 other industry sponsors, will be held at the NATRiP facility at Pithampur near Indore, from 24th to 27th January 2019. About 363 entries were received for BAJA SAEINDIA 2019, out of which 201 teams are shortlisted for conventional m-BAJA and 50 teams are shortlisted for e-BAJA from the virtual round. It will be followed by the HR meet on January28th& 29th 2019. Mahindra BAJA SAEINDIA 2019 has received an overwhelming response with representation from all zones- Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern zones in India. The four day event will include Technical Inspection, Static Evaluation such as Design, Cost & Sales Presentation and Dynamic Events such as Acceleration, Suspension and Traction, Sled Pull, and Maneuverability. The endurance round of two hours for eBAJA and four hours for mBAJA will be held on 26th& 27th January 2019 respectively. A remarkable feature unique to BAJA SAEINDIA is the adoption of a new theme every year. This year, the theme for BAJA 2019 is ‘Adventure Reloaded’, which celebrates the passion, hard work and perseverance of the budding engineers and the fervour to take up challenges and ability to maximize efforts. For the BAJA 2019 finale, entries from engineering colleges from across the country were screened at the Virtual Round held at Chitkara University, Punjab in July of 2018, 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 and Brakes. The entries presented at the virtual BAJA were virtual mock-ups that would be created with exact specifications by the participants. The teams in the final round will showcase their skill, understanding and passion for automobiles while having manufactured their own buggy race car. Speaking on the occasion, Mahesh Babu, CEO – Mahindra Electric said, “We believe that BAJA SAEINDIA is a talent mine for automotive engineering and through our association we hope to help these bright engineers of tomorrow to shape a bright future for the industry.” Mr. Babufurther added, “Infact I am particularly delighted with the evolution of BAJA SAE in the past decade. From conventional to electric mobility, there has been a considerable amount of evolution. The change is palpable with a popular eBAJA entering the scene. At Mahindra Electric we have built a complete electric buggy kit which can also be used in the BAJA vehicles. I am sure we are all set for a fierce competition on the ground.” Mr. Umesh Shah, Sr. VP & COO (CVRBU), Gabriel India Ltd., Convener - BAJA SAEINDIA 2019, Pithampur said, “BAJA SAEINDIA brings together a pool of students deeply steeped in theoretical as well as practical knowledge. They are passionate about automobiles and understand the challenges they must go through during the designing and manufacturing phase. More than just the technical aspects, students that participate in the BAJA generally have an upper hand over their peers, due to the hands-on experience they gain. This experience is a fundamental part of nurturing the engineering talent that will go on to shape the future of automobile engineering.”