Kolkata: Team AgniRath from IIT Madras has secured 3rd Place overall at the prestigious Sasol Solar Challenge 2026 in South Africa. This marks a landmark achievement for Indian solar racing, the institute said on Wednesday.
The team drove their solar-powered vehicle Aagneya across 1,192.6 km over eight days of challenging terrain and weather. It became the first Indian team to participate in the Sasol Solar Challenge and bring home a trophy, IIT Madras said.
“This podium finish is a celebration of student innovation, engineering excellence, teamwork and the relentless pursuit of sustainable mobility,” it said.
The South African Sasol Solar Challenge is a biennial competition that strives to be the ultimate test of technology and innovation. Local and international teams conceptualise, design and build solar-powered vehicles to drive across the country while competing against each other, demonstrating and showcasing their design, manufacturing, and strategy skills. The competitors travelled from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Jeffreys Bay.
“We are driven by a shared vision of advancing sustainable mobility through engineering innovation. Founded in 2021 by six passionate students, we have grown into a multidisciplinary team of over 45 undergraduate engineers working across aerodynamics, electrical systems, battery technology, telemetry, vehicle dynamics, manufacturing, and business operations,” Team AgnRath said.
The team designs, builds, tests, and races high-performance solar-powered vehicles entirely in-house. “Through every challenge, we strive to push the boundaries of efficiency, reliability, and innovation while representing India on the global stage. Our solar car, Aagneya, reflects our commitment to engineering excellence and our belief that clean energy will play a crucial role in the future of transportation,” it said.
Aagneya is the team’s second-generation solar race car, designed, engineered, and built entirely by its members. It represents the team’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and engineering excellence. From conceptual design to manufacturing and testing, every aspect of the vehicle has been developed by the student team.
“As one of the largest solar racing vehicles manufactured by a student team in India, Aagneya embodies thousands of hours of research, craftsmanship, and perseverance. Through Aagneya, we aim to push the boundaries of solar mobility and demonstrate the potential of sustainable transportation on the global stage,” the team said.
The team believes that the future of mobility must be sustainable, efficient, and accessible. Solar car racing provides it with a unique platform to develop and validate cutting-edge technologies under some of the world’s most demanding conditions.
“For us, racing is more than a competition. It is an opportunity to transform ideas into reality, apply classroom knowledge to real-world problems, and collaborate as a team to overcome engineering challenges. Every kilometre we race teaches us valuable lessons in energy management, aerodynamics, system integration, and innovation,” it said.
“By competing internationally, we showcase India’s engineering capabilities while inspiring students, researchers, and industry leaders to embrace renewable energy and sustainable transportation solutions. We race to innovate, to learn, and to drive the future of clean mobility,” Team AgniRath added.
IIT Madras congratulated the team and posted: “Historic finish for Team AgniRath! Congratulations to Team AgniRath for putting IIT Madras and India on the global solar racing map.”
(IANS)
