Students Build Top-Performing Off-Road Vehicles

Demonstrating the growing emphasis on practical engineering skills, a student team from Somaiya Vidyavihar University has earned national recognition by designing and building a high-performance off-road vehicle for real-world conditions.

Team Redshift Racing India from the K J Somaiya School of Engineering secured an impressive All India Rank 4 at BAJA SAE India 2026, held at BVRIT Narsapur. The competition featured over 50 teams from 11 states and rigorously evaluated participants on engineering design, build quality, and on-track performance.

At the heart of the achievement was GARUDA, a student-designed and manufactured 4x4 all-wheel-drive all-terrain vehicle (ATV), built entirely in-house. The vehicle stood out in the competition’s most demanding segment, securing All India Rank 1 in Overall Dynamics—an event that assesses endurance, manoeuvrability, traction, and control under real-world conditions.

Speaking on the accomplishment, Ajay Kapoor, Vice Chancellor of the university, highlighted the importance of experiential learning. He noted that transforming a concept into a fully functional vehicle in a competition like BAJA SAE India reflects an educational environment where theoretical knowledge is effectively translated into tangible outcomes.

BAJA SAE India challenges participants to design, fabricate, and validate a single-seat ATV, simulating the full engineering lifecycle under competitive and real-world constraints. The competition evaluates not only technical expertise but also adaptability, execution, and performance under pressure.

Team Redshift Racing India’s strong performance extended across multiple categories, including securing AIR 1 in Suspension & Traction and AIR 2 in Manoeuvrability. Consistent results in Validation, Acceleration, and Sled Pull events further contributed to their overall top-five national ranking, underscoring their engineering excellence and teamwork.