Beyond the classroom: When students build start ups

Discover how student-led teams at IIT Madras, like Team Raftar and Team Abhiyaan, drive innovation through collaboration and passion.

In the vibrant world of IIT Madras, student-led initiatives are driving ground breaking innovations. Two of the many teams, Team Raftar and Team Abhiyaan, exemplify the power of collaboration, passion, and technical expertise. These teams, composed of students from diverse backgrounds, have come together to address real-world challenges through their innovative projects which are beyond their regular academics.

Team Raftar from IIT Madras comprises 50 students passionate about automotive engineering and motorsports. Each year, they take on the challenge of building a Formula Student race car. Operating from the Centre For Innovation (CFI) at IIT Madras, their goal is to become globally competitive and promote the Formula Student culture in India. Known for their dedication, they are recognized as one of the most committed teams at CFI.

In Formula Bharat 2023, Raftar introduced their first electric car, RFR23, finishing 3rd overall in the Electric Category, including 2nd in Static Events and 1st in the Business Plan Presentation. The team also secured top places in various competitions such as the 2022 Formula Bharat Virtuals and Pi-EV, winning awards for Battery and Powertrain Design. Raftar continues to push innovation in electric vehicles and aims for greater success at Formula Student Germany this year.

Team Abhiyaan, another group from IIT Madras’ CFI, focuses on developing autonomous and intelligent navigation systems to reduce road accidents caused by human error. With a multidisciplinary team of 45 members, they aim to create safe, smart ground navigation systems. Abhiyaan has competed in several international competitions like IGVC, winning multiple accolades, including 2nd place overall in 2019 and the Grand Lescoe Trophy.

Their innovations include autonomous ground vehicles capable of obstacle avoidance, lane following, and road sign understanding. In 2020, they qualified for the Indy Autonomous Challenge and stood out in the social media contests. They’ve also worked on a fully autonomous shuttle for IIT Madras. The team’s motivation stems from passion, hands-on learning, and their shared vision of building cutting-edge autonomous robots.

Both Raftar and Abhiyaan demonstrate the power of teamwork and collaboration. These teams bring together students from different backgrounds, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives. Their ability to work together effectively, despite facing challenges and setbacks, shows their dedication and commitment.

The students involved in these teams explain how they are not only gaining valuable technical skills but also developing essential soft skills, such as leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork. These experiences will undoubtedly serve them well as they pursue their future careers.