Team AgniRath from IIT Madras has secured third place overall at the Sasol Solar Challenge 2026 in South Africa, marking a major achievement for Indian solar racing.
The team’s solar-powered vehicle, Aagneya, covered 1,192.6 km over eight days while navigating challenging terrain and weather conditions.
IIT Madras said Team AgniRath became the first Indian team to participate in the Sasol Solar Challenge and return with a trophy.
The institute described the podium finish as a celebration of student innovation, engineering excellence, teamwork and sustainable mobility.
The competition saw teams travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Jeffreys Bay, testing their vehicles under demanding conditions.
Aagneya is Team AgniRath’s second-generation solar race car, designed, engineered and built entirely by its student members.
The team said the vehicle involved thousands of hours of research, manufacturing, testing and development. Its work covers areas including:
- Aerodynamics
- Electrical systems
- Battery technology
- Telemetry
- Vehicle dynamics
- Manufacturing
- Business operations
The team has grown from six founding students in 2021 to more than 45 undergraduate engineers working across multiple disciplines.
Team AgniRath views solar racing as a platform to develop and test technologies related to energy management, aerodynamics, system integration and sustainable transportation.
The team said participating internationally also provides an opportunity to showcase Indian engineering capabilities while encouraging students, researchers and industry leaders to explore renewable energy and clean mobility.
The Sasol Solar Challenge is a biennial competition in which local and international teams design, manufacture and race solar-powered vehicles across South Africa.
The event is designed to test technological innovation, vehicle design, manufacturing capabilities and strategic decision-making.
