Formula Bharat is an Indian Formula Student-style engineering design competition in which students from colleges and universities all over the country, compete with a life-size formula-style vehicle in areas of engineering design, overall cost, marketability and dynamic performance. The series replicates the global student Formula series hosted in around 11 countries per year.
The Formula Bharat 2025 competition will tentatively take place at Kari Motor Speedway from January 22 – 27, 2025. For further details, visit the competition’s registration page.
The purpose of this competition is to encourage students to gain hands-on practical experience, while applying engineering theories studied in the classroom. In addition, students learn the art of management and teamwork, which are essential skills required in the ‘real-world’. These student teams are required to build a new vehicle from scratch year-after-year and seek sponsorship and donations by their own means to fund the project.
The challenge to the student team is to design and fabricate a prototype vehicle that best meets the goals and intents as stated per the Rules Book. Over the course of a five day competition, a jury of experts from the motorsport, automotive and supplier industries judge the design, cost and business planning of all the teams to determine the best team and vehicle; in addition the team’s on-track performance scores will demonstrate how well they hold up under real life conditions.
The Formula Bharat competition is divided into 2 categories – Static and Dynamic – which account for a total of 1000 points.
STATIC EVENTS
ENGINEERING DESIGN EVENT (150 PTS): The concept of the design event is to evaluate the student’s engineering process and effort that went into the design of a vehicle, meeting the intent of the competition. Prior to the event, teams are required to submit an engineering design report and a design specifications sheet for evaluation. At the competition, vehicles must be presented for design judging in finished condition, fully assembled, complete and ready-to-race. The judges will not evaluate any vehicle that is presented at the design event in what they consider to be an unfinished state and will award zero points for the entire design event.
COST AND MANUFACTURING EVENT (100 PTS): The objective of the cost and manufacturing event is to evaluate the team’s understanding of the manufacturing processes and costs associated with the construction of a prototype race car. This includes trade off decisions between content and cost, make or buy decisions and understanding the differences between prototype and mass production. Prior to the event, teams are required to submit a Cost Report with a detailed Bill of Materials and supporting documentation. At the competition, vehicles must be presented for cost and manufacturing judging in finished condition, fully assembled, complete, ready-to-race and with its dry tires (see T1.5.1) mounted. The judges will not evaluate any vehicle that is presented at the cost and manufacturing event, in what they consider to be an unfinished state and will award zero points for the entire event.
BUSINESS EVENT (75 PTS): The objective of the BPP is to evaluate the team’s ability to develop and deliver a comprehensive business model which demonstrates their product – a prototype race car – could become a rewarding business opportunity. The judges should be treated as if they were potential investors or partners for the presented business model. The business plan must relate to the specific prototype race car entered in the competition. The quality of the actual prototype will not be considered as part of the BPP judging. To convince the potential investors or partners that the team’s presentation is worthy of their time, it is required that an executive summary is submitted before the competition. The executive summary should contain a brief description of the team’s business plan.
DYNAMIC EVENTS
SKID PAD EVENT (75 PTS): The skidpad course consists of two pairs of concentric circles in a figure of eight pattern. Each team has four runs, driven by two drivers with two runs each. Each driver has the option to make a second run immediately after their first run. This event is worth 75 points.
ACCELERATION EVENT (75 PTS): The acceleration course is a straight line with a length of 75 m from starting line to finish line. Each team has four runs, driven by two drivers with two runs each. Each driver has the option to make a second run immediately after their first run. This event is worth 75 points.
AUTOCROSS EVENT (100 PTS): The autocross track layout is a handling course built to contains straights, constant turns, hairpins, slaloms, chicanes etc. The length of the autocross track is less than 1.5 km. Each team has up to four runs, driven by two drivers with two runs each. Each driver has the option to make a second run immediately after their first run.
ENDURANCE EVENT (325 PTS): The endurance track is a closed lap circuit built similarly to an autocross track. The length of one lap of the endurance track is approximately 1 km. The length of the complete endurance is approximately 22 km. There is only one run for the endurance event. The starting order of the endurance event is determined by the finishing time in the autocross event. A driver change must be made during a three minute period at the midpoint of the run. The first driver will drive for 11 km and will then be signaled into the driver change area. Each team is given three minutes to change their driver. If the driver change takes longer than three minutes, the extra time is included in the final time. After the driver change, the second driver will drive for an additional 11 km and will be signaled to exit the track after crossing the finish line. Multiple cars may be on the endurance track at the same time. Overtaking is only permissible in the designated passing zones and under the control of the track marshals. Wheel-to-wheel racing is prohibited.
EFFICIENCY EVENT (100 PTS):
(FOR Combustion Vehicles) Only vehicles which score points in the endurance event will receive points for efficiency. Teams whose fuel volume used during the endurance event exceeds 26 l/100km receive zero points for fuel efficiency. Teams whose corrected elapsed endurance time exceeds Tmax as defined in D 7.7.4 receive zero points for efficiency. Fuel pumps will be turned on and fuel valves will be opened to ensure complete refueling.
(FOR Electric Vehicles) The endurance energy is calculated as the time integrated value of the measured voltage multiplied by the measured current logged by the energy meter (data logger). Regenerated energy is multiplied by 0.9 and subtracted from the used energy. Only vehicles which score points in the endurance event will receive points for efficiency. Teams whose corrected elapsed endurance time exceeds Tmax as defined in D 7.7.4 receive zero points for efficiency.
If you are interested in learning more about the event, contact us!
Disclaimer: Events conducted under the brand name Formula BharatTM are exclusive events and the participants/sponsors shall not associate the events conducted by Curiosum Tech Private Limited as event classified by SAE International® and/or SAEINDIA®.
This is an advertisement.