The 5th edition BAJA SAEINDIA 2012 was launched yesterday in India by SAEINDIA, a professional society of automotive engineers who live up to a vision to continuously enrich knowledge base of Engineers and students. The projected was sponsored by Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. The BAJA SAEINDIA 2012 will give young and talented Indian minds an opportunity to incept, design, fabricate and create 4-wheeled single-seater All-Terrain vehicles (ATVs).
The out-of-classroom educational program has been designed so that it brings in a pinch of practicality rather than simple theory and examinations in the life of young engineers. This will help them face the real challenges which exist in the industry rather than mugging up answers and penning them down on a piece of paper. The program was originally incepted in USA by SAE International and was christened MINI BAJA. The program has expanded and is being organized in several countries across the globe. In India, it is being organized by BAJA SAEINDIA which is a student level competition which will include the participation of teams from universities across the nation who will plan, design, analyze, fabricate and validate an ATV which is evaluated during a series of Static, Dynamic and Durability events like design, cost evaluation, presentation, Max speed, acceleration, maneuverability, hill climb and endurance.
Around 250 teams have already registered for the 5th edition of the BAJA SAEINDIA 2012 which was launched yesterday (17th November, 2011) and will go on till 19th February, 2012. These teams will firs compete in Virtual BAJA which is an elimination round where virtual vehicle mock-ups are created with exact specifications and based on presentation by the teams. Only 100 teams will make it to the next level and will put their skills to test while building their dream vehicles at NATRiP site at Pithampur, near Indore.
“At Mahindra we have championed the cause of BAJA SAEINDIA since its inception in the year 2007. Today Mahindra is delighted to be associated with BAJA SAEINDIA 2012 as the title sponsor and strengthen this association. We are dedicated to honing the skills of young engineering students, which goes a long way towards developing the engineering potential of the youth and the technical human resource required for India. Events like these will help young engineering talent to use their dexterity in formulating newer technologies and engineering processes. Further the idea is to build a sustainable talent pipeline for the industry and help students at a young age to engage in nurturing their imaginative acumen in maths, science and engineering,” said Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra. “In fact as an organization we have always promoted and provided opportunities for auto enthusiasts to engage in, through unique initiatives such as Auto Quotient. Today more than 25 BAJA team members work in Mahindra, who are selected through BAJA HR Meets scheduled at the end of each BAJA event,” he added.
According to Dr. K. C. Vora, Advisor BAJA SAEINDIA and Dy. Director& Head of ARAI Academy, ARAI, Pune, “This is a unique event that blends the out-of-class-room education and hands-on-experience for enhancing leadership, team work and innovation among engineering students. The participation of Automotive Industry is fuelled by the energy and creativity of large number of professionals and technicians engaged in the form of organizers, technical inspectors and judges. Every year, the sponsoring industry gives on-the-spot-offer-letters to select students, immediately after the event during the BAJA HR meet. Especially in India, where our industry is rapidly gaining maturity on a global scale, we will need to plan for a large intake of motivated and qualified young talent”.
ARAI, ANAND GROUP, ANSYS, BPCL, CUMMINS, EATON, FIAT, GENERAL MOTORS, JOHN DEERE, JOHNSON MATTHEY, NATRiP, VARROC, etc. are the other sponsors apart from the Mahindra Group. The participating teams have been thoroughly trained in analysis by ANSYS with the help of its simulation and design software, whereas Briggs & Stratton are sponsoring new engines with subsidized cost.
For more details, please visit www.bajasaeindia.org.