Johannesburg, October 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Team AgniRath from IIT Madras has secured third place overall at the Sasol Solar Challenge 2026 in South Africa, marking a significant achievement for Indian solar racing.
The team’s solar-powered vehicle, Aagneya, covered 1,192.6 km over eight days, navigating challenging terrain and weather conditions during the biennial competition. IIT Madras said AgniRath became the first Indian team to participate in the Sasol Solar Challenge and return with a trophy.
The competition featured local and international teams that designed and built solar-powered vehicles before driving across South Africa from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Jeffreys Bay. It tests participants on vehicle design, manufacturing, technology, efficiency and race strategy.
Founded in 2021 by six students, Team AgniRath has since grown into a multidisciplinary group of more than 45 undergraduate engineers working across aerodynamics, electrical systems, battery technology, telemetry, vehicle dynamics, manufacturing and business operations.
The team designs, builds, tests and races its solar vehicles entirely in-house. Aagneya is its second-generation solar race car, with every stage from conceptual design and engineering to manufacturing and testing undertaken by team members.
Describing the podium finish as a celebration of student innovation, engineering excellence and teamwork, the team said Aagneya represented its commitment to sustainable mobility and clean-energy solutions.
The students said solar racing allows them to apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges while developing technologies related to energy management, aerodynamics and system integration.
The team also said its participation on the international stage was aimed at showcasing India’s engineering capabilities and encouraging greater adoption of renewable energy and sustainable transportation solutions.
IIT Madras congratulated Team AgniRath on what it described as a historic finish, saying the achievement had placed the institute and India on the global solar racing map.
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