Best Place To BuildRaftar Formula Racing Team, IIT Madras | "The stakes are high. The environment is intense." | Ep. 15
CHAPTERS
2027 Moonshot: Fastest Electric Autonomous Vehicle
The episode opens with Raftaar’s bold north star: becoming the world’s fastest electric autonomous vehicle by 2027. The team frames this as an ambition that will require deep engineering iteration, fundraising, and global benchmarking.
- •Goal statement: fastest electric autonomous vehicle in the world by 2027
- •Ambition tied to both EV and autonomy (driverless) trajectory
- •Sets the stakes for why the team needs resources, talent, and sponsorship
- •Positions Raftaar’s work as more than a student project—an R&D journey
Inside IIT Madras’ Builder Ecosystem (CFI & Innovation Hub)
The host situates the conversation at IIT Madras’ Sudha & Shankar Innovation Hub and introduces the show’s theme: why IITM is “the best place to build.” Raftaar is presented as one of the oldest and most serious student competition teams in this ecosystem.
- •Setting: innovation hub and CFI culture of building
- •Shift from typical professor/alumni startup interviews to a student team
- •IITM’s institutional setup enables ambitious prototyping
- •Raftaar’s longevity and competitiveness make it a flagship example
What Formula Student / FSAE Actually Is
Aryan explains Formula Student (FSAE) as a global engineering competition where students build a high-performance race car prototype. The competition spans combustion, electric, and increasingly driverless categories, with year-round design–manufacture–test cycles.
- •Teams design, build, test a full race car prototype annually
- •Multiple powertrain categories: combustion, electric, driverless (bonus points)
- •Competitions exist in India and internationally
- •Emphasis on complete engineering lifecycle, not just racing
Competition Landscape: Formula Bharat vs Europe’s Biggest Events
The team compares the Indian circuit (Formula Bharat) with major European competitions like Formula Student Germany. They describe the scale, the caliber of teams (e.g., ETH Zurich’s acceleration record), and what it means to compete internationally.
- •Formula Bharat: national event with ~40–50 teams overall; EV field growing
- •International circuit: multiple country events; FS Germany among the biggest
- •Benchmark teams: ETH Zurich and world-record acceleration context
- •Scale difference: ~80 teams and deep legacy in Europe
Why Students Join: Hands-On Learning, High Stakes, Personal Growth
Aryan outlines the value proposition: turning abstract coursework into real engineering outcomes and learning through intense deadlines and accountability. The ‘reward loop’ of designing, manufacturing, testing, and validating accelerates both technical and personal development.
- •Bridges gap between theory and real-world engineering practice
- •High-stakes environment drives rapid growth and responsibility
- •Skill-building: design, validation, FEA (finite element analysis)
- •Career leverage for research, higher studies, and industry roles
How Raftaar Learns: Self-Study, Faculty Support, and Alumni Network
The episode highlights the learning pathways—formal courses, self-study, and strong mentorship. IITM’s CFI structure provides dedicated faculty advisors, technical guidance from professors, and alumni support for connections and fundraising.
- •New members often start with little car-specific knowledge; learn fast
- •Learning sources: ED department courses, YouTube, papers, self-study
- •Faculty advisors and technical mentors (CFI and Raftaar-specific)
- •Alumni network supports outreach, credibility, and fundraising
How Teams Are Judged: Dynamic Events, Engineering Design, Cost & Business Pitch
The competition isn’t only about lap time: Raftaar explains static and dynamic judging categories. Beyond racing, teams must justify engineering decisions, manage costs efficiently, and pitch a business plan around the car as a product.
- •Dynamic events: timed racing/lap performance
- •Cost event: financial discipline and justification of spend
- •Engineering design: rationale, testing methodology, validation evidence
- •Business Plan Presentation (BPP): ‘Shark Tank’ style product/business pitch
Funding Reality: Institute Support + Sponsorship Hustle (Startup-like Team)
Raftaar describes a hybrid funding model: baseline institute funding supplemented by sponsorships and last-mile support from faculty. The team operates like a startup—pitching, raising funds, and proving value through performance and execution.
- •Institute provides initial funding; sponsorships expand flexibility
- •Funding affects materials, iteration speed, and performance upgrades
- •Team culture mirrors startups: pitch → build → test → prove
- •Faculty helps bridge funding gaps near deadlines
Sponsor Partnerships That Shape the Car: Ather and Battery Pack Advances
Ather is highlighted as a key sponsor offering both money and engineering input. Raftaar discusses a next-gen battery pack goal—half the weight with double the energy—and how sponsor collaboration informs cooling, integration, and manufacturability.
- •Ather as long-term sponsor: monetary + design/engineering support
- •Battery pack target: ~50% weight with ~2× energy (as described)
- •Thermal management and integration as critical EV race constraints
- •Alumni link: Ather leadership and early employees from Raftaar
Raftaar’s Org Structure: Chassis vs Powertrain + Sponsorship & Logistics
Aryan breaks down the team into chassis and powertrain verticals, each with specialized subsystems. They also explain non-technical functions—sponsorship, media launches, and complex international logistics like shipping an EV battery pack.
- •Chassis subsystems: vehicle dynamics/drivetrain, aerodynamics, frames & composites
- •Powertrain subsystems: accumulator/battery pack (incl. BMS), electrical safety systems
- •Weight reduction and carbon-fiber roadmap (frame, links, driveshaft)
- •Operational roles: sponsorship relations, events, logistics for global comps
Legacy & Milestones: From First CFI Team to Consistent Podiums
Ankith traces Raftaar’s history from early international entries to national dominance. The team’s identity—especially the black-green livery—emerges alongside a narrative of consistent performance and learning-driven iteration.
- •Founded as CFI’s first competition team; competing since 2012
- •Early international steps: FSUK, then Formula Student Germany
- •Podium breakthrough (national) and identity cementing over time
- •2020: major championship year; strong static-event performance
Transition to Electric: COVID Pivot and Early EV Podium
The team explains how COVID created a strategic window to redesign around EVs. After building the first electric car (2022), they entered EV competitions and achieved a podium early in their electric era.
- •Strategic decision: shift to EV as the world moved electric
- •COVID period used for deep design work on EV powertrain
- •First EV car built in 2022; first EV competition season followed
- •Early EV podium framed as validation against experienced EV teams
International Competition Reality: Constraints, Resource Gaps, and Learning from Top Teams
Ankith describes why podiums abroad are difficult: shipping constraints, limited tools, and teams with decades of accumulated expertise. At the same time, the international paddock is collaborative, offering exposure and shared learning even among competitors.
- •International logistics: shipping car/tools; strict constraints; no ‘home turf’
- •European teams often have more funding and decades of iteration history
- •On-site manufacturing advantage (trailers/trucks full of tools)
- •Culture of healthy competition: teams share spares and knowledge
Failures, Crashes, and Resilience: Rebuilding Under Deadline Pressure
The episode dives into the emotional lows of engineering—when things break close to major moments. Ankith recounts a crash days before an EV launch and the team’s all-hands recovery, illustrating the ‘never give up’ culture.
- •Spectacular failure: suspension damage days before first EV launch
- •Weekend constraints forced extraordinary coordination with shops
- •Teamwide responsibility and clear roles during crisis recovery
- •Engineering mindset: lows become learning; resilience as a core value
Drivers & Race Format: Selection, Responsibility, and What It Feels Like to Run Endurance
Divyaratna explains how drivers are chosen internally and why design engineers drive—to validate their own systems. He details performance figures and the race format: timed runs, limited multi-car endurance sessions, and safety-minded rules.
- •Drivers must come from the team; typically 3rd-years, not first-years
- •Engineer-drivers validate controls, dynamics, and system behavior firsthand
- •Performance targets: ~154 km/h top speed; 0–100 km/h under ~4s (as stated)
- •Endurance format: multiple cars on track but time-based, not wheel-to-wheel
Balancing Academics, Stress, and the Next Leap: Autonomy + Value-Driven Sponsorships
The closing section covers workload management, stress near deadlines, and the team’s push to level up internationally. They outline a sponsorship philosophy shift—from CSR donations to genuine industry collaboration—anchored again by the 2027 autonomy goal.
- •Time management via course flexibility; sacrifices peak near competitions
- •Stress acknowledged; team bonding helps sustain intensity
- •Sponsorship as collaboration: examples with MRF tire data and Daimler testing
- •Reiterated ambition: fastest electric autonomous vehicle by 2027; need more sponsors
