Team AgniRath of IIT Madras finishes third at Sasol Solar Challenge 2026 in South Africa

Key facts

• Team AgniRath from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras secured third place overall at the Sasol Solar Challenge 2026 in South Africa.
• The team drove its solar-powered vehicle Aagneya across 1,192.6 km over eight days of challenging terrain and weather.
• Team AgniRath became the first Indian team to participate in the Sasol Solar Challenge and bring home a trophy.
• The biennial Sasol Solar Challenge requires teams to design, build and race solar-powered vehicles across South Africa, with competitors travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Jeffreys Bay.
• Founded in 2021 by six students, Team AgniRath has grown into a multidisciplinary team of over 45 undergraduate engineers working across aerodynamics, electrical systems, battery technology, telemetry, vehicle dynamics, manufacturing and business operations.
• Aagneya is the team's second-generation solar race car, designed, engineered and built entirely in-house, and is among the largest solar racing vehicles manufactured by a student team in India.