New Delhi: Indian engineering students are all set to receive a world class opportunity that will simulate real-world engineering design projects and their related challenges. SAE India announced the Baja, an event that will task Indian engineering students to design and build an off-road vehicle that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain. The Baja is modeled on a globally popular student competition initiated by SAE (Society of Automobile Engineers). SAE INDIA is a professional engineering society whose membership represents virtually every engineering and scientific discipline.

The competition is uniquely positioned to take the teams through the whole challenge of developing a vehicle from conception to delivery. Not only would each team be competing to have its design accepted for manufacture by a fictitious firm, they would also have to generate financial support for their project.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, SAE India & President- Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, 'The Baja competition which is to be held for the first time in India, endeavours to inculcate and harness talent to augment design & engineering skills of the Indian students. The goal of this competition is to provide these students a world class platform to showcase their talent and potential not only in terms of design and engineering skills but also assess their capability for team-work, entrepreneurial skills and management.

He further added, 'We are looking at getting participants from India’s top engineering institutions. SAE India would sponsor the best team to participate in the International competition to be held in USA.'

Each team’s goal is to design and build a prototype of a rugged single seat, off-road recreational four-wheel vehicle intended for sale to the non-professional, weekend off-road enthusiast. The competition goals include that the vehicle must be safe, easily transported, easily maintained and fun to drive. It should be able to negotiate rough terrain in all types of weather without damage. SAE INDIA will provide the required engine to the participating teams.

The Indian automotive industry is one of the fastest growing in the world. This sector is looking at a 16 per cent annual growth to quadruple it total revenues in the next 10 years. 'In such a scenario, an event like Baja provides the perfect impetus for the next generation of industry professionals who will fuel this growth. This event will provide a unique platform to drive, instill auto passion among budding engineers and equip them to be globally competitive ' explained Dr. Goenka.

This competition is open to any SAE student member team studying in undergraduate engineering college in India with age above 18 years and having a permanent driving license. The completion consists of a total of 1000 points spread across different static tests and dynamic tests such as mechanical design, engineering and sales presentation, maneuverability etc.

The participating team should consist of maximum 25 students. SAE Indian will begin inviting applications from December 1, 2006 and those willing to participate can register on www.saeindia.org from April 2, 2007. SAE India will close registration on May 2, 2007.

Internationally, the event is called the Mini Baja and has been changing the way students look at the vehicle engineering industry for over 25 years. Mini Baja consists of three regional competitions in the USA, and competitions in South Africa, Mexico, Brazil and Korea.

About Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE)

SAE’s network of membership includes over 83,000 engineers, business executives, educators, and students from more than 97 countries who share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility systems. SAE’s Board of Directors includes more than 16,000 volunteer leaders who serve on its many other boards, councils and committees. SAE’s technical committees write more new aerospace and automotive engineering standards than any other standards-writing organization in the world. SAE also publishes thousands of technical papers and books each year, and leading-edge periodicals and Internet and CD-ROM products too. Its Cooperative Research Program helps facilitate projects that benefit the mobility industry as a whole. Numerous meetings and exhibitions provide worldwide opportunities to network and share information. SAE also offers a full complement of professional development activities such as seminars, technical symposia, and e-learning products.