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Events like Baja SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) India not only providing platform for innovative skills but also offering jobs in various automotive companies to engineering students across India.
The event in organised in association with auto major Mahindra and Mahindra since 2007 which aims to provide an opportunity for young and talented engineering students to showcase their passion for automobiles while encouraging them to conceive, design and fabricate four wheeled single-seater all terrain vehicles.
This year, about 327 teams had registered out of which 125 teams have qualified for the final round of this edition. Pune contributes highest number 16 teams for this competition.
The finale would be held at NATRIP (National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project)facility at Pithampur near Indore from February 20 till Feb 23, 2014.
Speaking about this, Sanjay Nibhandhe, conveyer for BAJA 2012 said, "BAJA India is a platform that offers the students not only a chance to showcase thjeir talent and skills in presence of auto experts but also get hands on experience of the industry they aspire to get into. Last year over 100 engineering students were placed in different automobile companies like General Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, John Deere, Cummins India, ARAI and SAE.These companies offer annual salaries in between 3 lakh to 8 lakh. Due to practical knowledge and hands on experience, these students perform better than any post graduate engineering students."
He added, "Entries from engineering colleges from across the country were screened in the virtual round, where they presented their Designs for the BAJA Buggy vehicle they wish to design for the final event. The teams in final round would showcase their skills, understanding and passion for automobiles while having manufactured their own buggy race car. The total price money for this event is of Rs 1 crore."·
In the last part of this event, human resource team from various companies conducts a session and short lists the candidates for interview. Since last year, a common writing test for all the students is being conducted by SAE.
Shrikant Marathe, director, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) said, "To meet Technology Road Map of India's vision, we need lots of good engineers. This Human Resource can double up by encouraging women to enter into engineering. Baja is one such initiative, where we orient them towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)".
