Event Overview

Mphasis Foundation, the CSR arm of Mphasis Limited, in partnership with Plaksha University, hosted the second edition of the TrackShift Innovation Challenge on September 12–13, 2026, at the Plaksha University campus. The 24-hour applied innovation challenge brought together more than 180 undergraduate and postgraduate student innovators from across India to develop scalable proofs of concept at the intersection of artificial intelligence, mobility, and intelligent systems.

Participation Details

The challenge drew over 3600 applications from students across India, including those from IITs, NITs, IIIT-Hyderabad, BITS Pilani, and regional/tier 2-3 institutions. Approximately one-third of applicants were female students, reflecting the initiative's commitment to women in STEM education.

Technical Problem Statements

Students worked on three real-world motorsport engineering problems:

  • Energy & Overtake Intelligence: Build a real-time decision engine for optimal energy deployment modes and overtake risk-reward evaluation
  • Track Limits Detection: Develop an AI-powered video analysis system to detect track-limit violations using computer vision and car telemetry
  • Tyre Degradation Intelligence: Create a predictive model to generate clean tyre performance degradation curves from practice session data

Partnership Context

The challenge was developed as part of Mphasis' multi-year association with the TGR Haas F1 Team, using engineering problems drawn directly from the realities of elite motorsport and technical constraints of the 2026 racing season.

Prizes and Recognition

The top three winning teams received:

  • 1st prize: Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore - ₹1,00,000
  • 2nd prize: Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering (YCCE), Nagpur - ₹50,000
  • 3rd prize: Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Delhi - ₹25,000

Additional benefits include:

  • Fully sponsored visit to TGR Haas F1 Team facility in the United Kingdom for top three teams
  • Mentorship-based internships at Mphasis (up to two months) working on live AI and innovation projects
  • Innovation kits and certificates for participants
  • Networking opportunities with industry experts, academic leaders, and TGR Haas F1 Team

Strategic Significance

According to company executives, the initiative aims to build talent pipelines for India's technology industry by exposing students to complex engineering problems that professionals at the frontier of motorsport technology deal with daily. Solutions developed during the challenge will be made available through an open repository on the TrackShift website for industry partners, academia, startups, and research labs.

Corporate Background

Mphasis Foundation reflects the company's belief that technology excellence and purposeful innovation can drive meaningful social impact. Mphasis is an AI-led, platform-driven company with focus on artificial intelligence and autonomy across enterprise technology stacks.