IIT Madras team wins third place at Sasol Solar Challenge

Team AgniRath from IIT Madras secured third place overall at the Sasol Solar Challenge 2026 in South Africa. This achievement marks the first time an Indian team has participated in the biennial competition and returned with a trophy.

The team’s solar-powered vehicle, Aagneya, completed a 1,192.6 km journey over eight days, traveling from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Jeffreys Bay. The competition tests international and local teams on vehicle design, manufacturing, technology, efficiency, and race strategy across challenging terrain and weather conditions.

Founded in 2021, Team AgniRath has grown from six students to a multidisciplinary group of over 45 undergraduate engineers. The team designs, builds, and tests its high-performance solar vehicles entirely in-house, focusing on aerodynamics, electrical systems, battery technology, and vehicle dynamics to promote sustainable mobility and clean energy solutions.