Beyond the classroom: When students build start ups

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

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.

“Despite being an electric race car, our project requires expertise from different fields, from aerodynamics to software. Even students from unrelated disciplines, like civil engineering, contribute to the project. We are passion-driven, encouraging a culture of learning and collaboration.”Team Raftar

Team Abhiyaan

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.

Team Abhiyaan
| Photo Credit:
Sweta Gupta

The power of teamwork and collaboration

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.

Team Raftar and Team Abhiyaan at IIT Madras
| Photo Credit:
Sweta Gupta

Navigating challenges as a team

 When asked about the challenges they faced and how they navigated them as a team, both shared moments where teamwork proved to be their greatest asset.

Raftar’s close call

“Last year, when we were about to launch our first electric car, it was a huge moment for us. This came after two years post-COVID when we all came back together, putting in an immense amount of effort to build the car. Just about a week before the public launch, we were testing it, and our driver lost control, crashing the car into a tree. The right half was badly damaged, and we had very little time, just the weekend to fix it before the launch. The entire team came together, running around to different places, talking to multiple vendors. We even convinced shopkeepers to keep their stores open over the weekend to manufacture the parts we needed. It was a huge team effort and a lot of running around, but somehow, we pulled it off. The car was ready for the launch. That moment definitely stands out.”Team Raftar

Abhiyaan’s overseas adventures

“When we participate in competitions abroad, like in the US, we face unique challenges. For instance, we pack our entire robot in our suitcases, which is pretty large. Every time, we deal with components breaking in transit and the bolts are of huge size. Once, after arriving in the US, we found multiple components had failed. Being in a new country without access to our usual resources, we had to think on our feet. We ran around local stores, figuring out how to work with what we had. It’s a really interesting time for us because it’s just us students managing everything without external guidance. We look for solutions ourselves and find a way to  make it work”Team Abhiyaan

Team Abhiyaan’s project

Looking at these examples, it tells us that a student is incomplete without their hustles during their academics. And most importantly to go through it, it is your classmates and teammates around you. Each one of these are driven by passion. “It’s not like someone is assigning tasks; we take up what we want to work on. That’s the primary source of motivation. Everyone is enthusiastic about what they do,” said one of the teammates. 

Getting hands-on experience is something we don’t get in our regular coursework, and in such a team, we can actually implement the things we learn. It’s where we get to explore our best selves.

Working in a team like this gives you exposure, both technically and personally. It feels like being part of a small startup where you handle your own funding, meet deadlines, and manage different things going on at the same time. 

The teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills gained from these experiences are lessons that can’t be learned in a classroom. It’s what truly adds to the adventure of student life.