Baja SAE contest catches ’em young

On the face of it, the most visible change at the fifth edition of the Baja SAE India was that Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) had taken up the mantle of title sponsorship from JK Tyres. But apart from the obvious change in branding paraphernalia, there wasn’t a lot to differentiate the event from the previous editions.

The NATRIP facility at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh was choc-a-bloc with students from 80 engineering colleges from all parts of the country. They all had one goal – to design and fabricate a rugged all-terrain vehicle which is commercially viable to be sold to a recreational off-road enthusiast, with the best overall design winning the competition.

There is another facet to the Baja SAE India which has further motivated students – the on-site HR programme. Automobile and component companies have been quick to realise that engineering students involved in a project like this would make for better employees as each 20-member team gains hands-on engineering experience apart from teamwork, entrepreneurial skills and management – these facets are the key to success in the competition.

Not surprisingly then, a large number of companies have associated themselves with the initiative over the years. With M&M being the title sponsor, American giants Cummins and Briggs & Stratton donned the roles of co-sponsors. Briggs & Stratton thus replaced Lombardini as the official engine supplier.

Dr Pawan Goenka, president, Automotive and Farm Equipment sectors, M&M, was instrumental in bringing the Baja competition to India. Have things changed this year then, being the title sponsor? Not a lot, says Dr Goenka. “It is important that we have the competition and strive to make it better each passing year – these things (sponsorship) don’t count for a lot.”

But surely there must be some motivation behind this mammoth effort? “Of course – we knew that competitions like this would have a positive effect of the quality of workforce we see coming into the automotive industry, and it has indeed happened. It gives us access to a fine pool of talent to choose from, so it is a win-win situation for everyone. Competitions like this help the persistent quest for better designs, newer technology and more refined products.” As for the results – it was the SRM University from Chennai which took the top accolades while PES Modern College of Engineering from Pune was the runners-up. Basaveshwara Engineering College from Bagalkot took the final podium spot.

Dr John C Wall, VP and Chief Technical Officer, Cummins Inc, reiterated Dr Goenka’s words saying, “Cummins is very proud to be associated with an event like this – engineering is all about working in teams to create products that meet the needs of our customers. We believe the Mini Baja is a terrific training ground for young engineers – not only does it create a realistic environment for teamwork in product design but the students get to test their products against others in the design competition and in the race itself. And they can see and hopefully experience first-hand what happens when a product works very well.”

BAJA FACTS

Title sponsor – Mahindra & Mahindra

Co-sponsors – Briggs & Stratton, Cummins

Partners – Bharat Petroleum, Eaton, John Deere, Chevrolet

Associate sponsors – Anand, ANSYS, Fiat, Varroc

Award sponsors – EMITEC, iCAT

SAPTARSHI SHUKLA