Team Piranha Racing creates history in MIT-WPU triumphant at BAJA SAEINDIA 2022

The mechanical engineering department at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) nurtured Team Piranha Racing, which finished second overall in this year’s BAJA SAEINDIA 2022 race. The event, which took place at NATRAX in Pithampur from the 5th to the 10th of April, saw the Pune-based team win all three rounds of the competition: preliminary round, virtual round, and physical round. The 29-member team, made up of first- to fourth-year students, was victorious in a variety of categories demonstrating their mobility expertise, including their awareness and experience with industrial design and engineering.

Mrudula Joshi and Atharva Bhosale, Piranha Racing’s star drivers, excelled for their team and braved a gruelling 4-hour trip to finish third in the challenging durability endurance race, demonstrating the ATV (all-terrain vehicle) the students built’s dependability. Team Piranha finished the BAJA SAEINDIA ’22 season with flying colours, thanks to the direction of Dr Sachin Deshmukh, Faculty Advisor, Mechanical Engineering, and the capable leadership of Team Captain Hammad Anwer. Additionally, all BAJA SAEINDIA events were live-streamed for people all over the world to watch and cheer on their favourite teams.

Prof. Sachin Deshmukh, Faculty Advisor, Mechanical Engineering, MIT-WPU said, “We are excited and proud of Team Piranha Racing for their stupendous achievements at BAJA SAEINDIA ‘22. I have been associated with the team for the last seven years and this season has been the best in terms of results achieved. Our success would not have been possible without the guidance and support of Prof. Dr. Vishwanath Karad, Founder and President – MIT Group of Institutions; Prof. Prakash B Joshi, Founder & Joint Managing Trustee; Rahul V. Karad, Executive President – MIT World Peace University and the top management of the University and School Leadership; Prof. Dr. Prasad D Khandekar, Interim Pro-VC and Dean of Engineering and Technology; Prof. Dr. Bharat Chaudhary, Prof. Dr. Hiwale, Associate Dean; Prof. Dr. G M Kakandikar, HOS; Prof. Dr. D P Hujare, Prof Dr K V Mali, AHOS and the senior professors. At Team Piranha Racing, we look forward to more triumphs in national as well as international events.”

In addition to the numerous first-place awards, the Piranha Racing team received second-place awards in Virtual Dynamics and Best 4-Wheel Drive, as well as second-place finishes in Suspension and Traction (Virtual), Overall Statistics, Suspension and Traction (Physical), Durability and Endurance, and Overall Physical Dynamics. At SAEINDIA ’22, all teams were put through a series of tests to determine their technical and professional qualities.

Team Piranha Racing concentrated on the virtual presentation displaying the finished design of their buggy during the Phase 1 Preliminary Round. Virtual Dynamic Events and Digital Static Events were used in Phase 2 to evaluate various elements such as Design, Cost, Manufacturing, Sales Presentation, Acceleration, Brake, Gradeability, Suspension and Traction, Manoeuvrability, and All-Terrain Performance using specialised software and platforms. The last part, Phase 3, took place at Pithampur, Indore, and tested the buggies’ acceleration, manoeuvrability, suspension, and traction in a series of Dynamic Events.

Mr Hammad Anwer, Captain, Team Piranha Racing, said, “It is an honour to have captained this wonderful team and we are stoked to win numerous awards at the competition. Along with our present students, we had alumni from all over the world cheering and boosting the morale of Team Piranha Racing. We believe our decade long participation in the renowned competition has helped our team to evolve and focus ahead with newer learning at each stage; and we look forward to implementing them and continuing our winning momentum in the upcoming competitions. “

MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU, formerly known as MIT Pune) has been educating India’s youth for over four decades. MIT-WPU is India’s third best private university, with an acclaimed faculty and a global alumni network of over 1,00,000 people. It offers over 100 undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and PhD programmes. The university is also well-known for its extensive placements and career services. The MIT Group presently has 10+ campuses across India, totalling over 1000 acres, all of which are equipped with cutting-edge infrastructure and amenities. Every year, over 50,000 students enrolled in MIT World Peace University’s 65+ Institutes for a variety of courses.