Overview
Chitkara University co‑hosted a high‑level strategic interaction with the BAJA SAEINDIA Organizing Committee and leading automotive industry experts, reaffirming its commitment to experiential learning and industry‑integrated engineering education. The gathering featured Mr. Balraj Subramaniam, Chairman of the BAJA SAEINDIA Organizing Committee; Mr. Jatin Garg, Honorary Secretary; Dr. K. C. Vora, Senior Advisor; and Mr. Balraj Bhanot, an automotive homologation expert and former Director of ARAI. Representing the university were Dr. Madhu Chitkara, President and Co‑founder; Dr. Sandhir Sharma, Vice Chancellor; and Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Registrar.
BAJA SAEINDIA Platform
The BAJA SAEINDIA competition, now an umbrella platform covering Electric Vehicle (eBAJA), Mechanical BAJA (mBAJA), Autonomous BAJA, and Hydrogen BAJA (hBAJA), enables students to design, fabricate and validate single‑seater all‑terrain vehicles in line with the competition rulebook. Participants undergo rigorous static and dynamic evaluations that assess engineering excellence, innovation, safety and endurance.
Participation Details
A total of 186 teams have registered for the 2027 season, broken down into 102 eBAJA teams, 26 hBAJA teams and 58 mBAJA teams. These teams will first compete in a Virtual Round where industry experts will assess and guide the preliminary design of the buggies. The Virtual Round for eBAJA, hBAJA and mBAJA is scheduled from 17th to 19th July 2026 at Chitkara University’s Punjab Campus. During this phase, digital engineering tools and simulation‑based assessments will evaluate vehicle design, engineering analysis and innovation before teams advance to subsequent competition stages. A technical quiz on automotive engineering will also be conducted.
Institutional Perspective
Dr. Madhu Chitkara highlighted the university’s long‑standing association with BAJA SAEINDIA and stressed the transformative role of experiential learning in engineering education, noting that such initiatives inspire students to translate classroom concepts into practical innovation while strengthening technical expertise, teamwork, leadership and problem‑solving abilities. Dr. Sandhir Sharma emphasized the importance of strong academia‑industry partnerships to prepare students for emerging technological challenges in the automotive and mobility sectors.
About Chitkara University
Chitkara University is a UGC‑recognised and NAAC‑accredited private university in North India with campuses in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. It offers career‑oriented undergraduate and postgraduate programs across Engineering, Business, Healthcare, Pharmacy, Design, Architecture, Hospitality and emerging technology fields. For Class 11 and 12 students, the university provides industry‑aligned programs that combine academic excellence with practical exposure. The curriculum stresses experiential learning through internships, industry projects, research opportunities and global collaborations, supported by modern infrastructure, advanced laboratories, industry mentorship and skill‑based training. The university boasts over 2,000 campus recruiters, more than 300 international academic and industry collaborations, and consistent rankings by NIRF, QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education.
Contact
For further information, visit www.chitkara.edu.in.