Eighty-nine student teams will compete in India's premier electric vehicle design competition at NATRAX Pithampur, showcasing innovative battery-swapping strategies and two distinct drivetrain systems in challenging all-terrain conditions.
10 Jan 2026 | 755 Views | By Sarthak Mahajan
The BAJA SAEINDIA 2026 competition enters its most demanding phase as engineering students prepare for a four-hour electric all-terrain endurance race scheduled for January 11 at NATRAX Pithampur. The event, running from January 7-13, represents one of the world's most challenging student engineering competitions.
Eighty-nine teams from across India ...
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The BAJA SAEINDIA 2026 competition enters its most demanding phase as engineering students prepare for a four-hour electric all-terrain endurance race scheduled for January 11 at NATRAX Pithampur. The event, running from January 7-13, represents one of the world's most challenging student engineering competitions.
Eighty-nine teams from across India have designed and built single-seater electric buggies according to the 2026 rulebook specifications. Before competing in dynamic events, teams must pass rigorous safety scrutiny, technical inspection for compliance, and a brake test demonstrating all-wheel lock capability from 40 km/hr speed.
A unique feature of this year's competition is the inclusion of a mandatory rain water storm test, equivalent to the water wading test required under Automotive Indian Standards for electric vehicle homologation in India. This stringent requirement mirrors real-world certification processes that automotive manufacturers must navigate.
"The competition is uniquely designed this year because two types of drivetrain systems—60V and 72V—will be running together," explained Dr. Sudhir Gupte, Lead of eBAJA SAEINDIA. The varying voltage systems create additional complexity as teams balance energy availability, battery capacity, vehicle weight, gear ratios, wheelbase, center of gravity height, and tire specifications.
Battery swapping strategy emerges as a critical competitive element. Unlike previous years with fixed battery specifications, teams now have freedom to select battery capacity, creating diverse approaches to range optimization and weight reduction. Teams must design efficient battery retention brackets enabling quick swaps while following designated safety protocols.
"Battery swapping in eBAJA SAEINDIA started in 2021, probably before any automotive OEMs introduced the system," noted Dr. Gupte, highlighting how student competitions often pioneer technologies later adopted by industry.
The competition provides practical experience beyond classroom learning. Participants navigate the complete product development cycle—from design and manufacturing using reduce-reuse-rework principles to budgeting, sponsorship acquisition, and marketing presentations. Teams operate with full organizational structures including designated roles for HR, finance, design, and testing.
Track designer Harshit Merchant and his team have created challenging terrain to test all-terrain performance capabilities across multiple dynamic events including acceleration, suspension and traction, maneuverability, and sledge pull tests, culminating in the endurance race.
The Technical Committee for electrical, mechanical, hydrogen CNG, and autonomous vehicles works alongside the Alumni Committee and organizing volunteers under the Steering Committee chaired by Dr. Pawan Goenka.
Since the first eBAJA competition in 2015—the world's first electric BAJA event—the program has built a strong industry reputation. Many alumni occupy leadership positions in automotive OEMs and tier-one suppliers, with sponsors consistently offering preferential recruitment opportunities to participants.
"There are only two types of engineers produced in India: those who participate in BAJA SAEINDIA and the others," stated Munirathnam, Vice President of SAEINDIA, underscoring the program's impact on engineering education.
The endurance race on January 11 will determine which teams have optimized the complex interplay of drivetrain selection, battery strategy, vehicle dynamics, and driver skill. A valedictory function will follow the competition's conclusion.
The event continues BAJA SAEINDIA's 18-year tradition of preparing industry-ready engineers through hands-on automotive design and development challenges that reflect real-world engineering requirements.