Maruti Suzuki Kicks off SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015; Promotes Young Enthusiastic Talent in Motor Sports Engineering

Maruti Suzuki, India’s leading car manufacturer and Society of Automotive Engineers India (SAEINDIA) today announced the finale of SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015. SUPRA 2015 is a platform that encourages engineering students across the country to conceptualize, design, fabricate and run a Formula prototype car, end-to-end. The finale of the fourth edition SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015 contest will be held at Chennai Motor Race Track between July 15^th ~ 19^th. This year around 2200 engineering students representing 167 engineering colleges will compete for the winner title.

First introduced in India in 2011 by Maruti Suzuki India and SAEINDIA, SUPRA is directed towards the Automotive Mission Plan 2016, a dream to make India an International Automotive Hub.  The competition aims to offer engineering students a platform to test and demonstrate their talent in the field of automobile engineering. The initiative allows country’s future engineers to showcase their automotive skills.

Mr. R S Kalsi, Executive Director – Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd., Dr. R K Malhotra, Ex-Chairman IOC & SVP SAEINDIA, Mr. Prashant K Banerjee Convener, SUPRA SAEINDIA announced the finale. Also present at the occasion were Mr. I V Rao, Founder SUPRA SAEINDIA and Senior Advisor Maruti Suzuki India, and Mr. Sirish Vissa, Technical Committee Chair, SUPRA SAEINDIA & Head Volkswagen Motorsport India.

Mr. R S Kalsi, Executive Director - Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. said, “Maruti Suzuki has always been focusing on strengthening it’s connect with the youth of India. We want to unleash the power of youth and encourage them to be innovative and creative. Our association with SAEINDIA showcases this commitment towards skill development of engineering students. It helps promote their dreams and aspirations, leverage their strengths, tap into their talents and collaborate with them to make our country’s future bright.  Maruti Suzuki has always supported such events and will continue to do so.”

Mr. Prashant K. Banerjee, Convener, SUPRA SAEINDIA, and Head, Homologation & Product Evaluation, Tata Motors Limited said, “We at SAEINDIA are proud to see the event evolve from a mere competition to one that shapes up high quality talent for the industry in substantial numbers. SUPRA SAEINDIA aims to fuel the exuberance of the youth by providing teams a platform to test their mettle against real world challenges as faced in the industry. At the upcoming 4-day grand finale of a one year long event, student designed vehicles will be subjected to critical evaluation by experts on a range of criteria. Over the last editions, SUPRA SAEINDIA has matured into a highly competitive event, bringing out the best of capabilities in the teams with respect to engineering, vehicle construction, teamwork, entrepreneurship, leadership and management skills of the students.”

Mr. Sirish Vissa, Technical Committee Chair, SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015 & Head - Volkswagen Motorsport India, shared “In this process, students learn to develop a design, understand the process of new product development, industrial procurement, manufacturing, assembly and prototyping. The selected prototypes are then tested in standard test conditions to measure parameters like maneuverability, technological innovation, endurance, fuel economy, performance and stability.”

Young engineers get a platform

• SUPRA SAEINDIA competition was first brought to India by Maruti Suzuki and SAEINDIA in 2011

• The contest encourages budding talent in MotorSports Engineering

• Participants are given a ‘real world’ engineering challenges - Designing Formula prototype car from scratch

• 2200 aspiring engineers in 110 teams; in SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015

About SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015:

SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015 event will see 110 teams from SAEINDIA Collegiate Clubs at various Engineering colleges from all over the country create a virtual design, build a prototype and test their own formula type race car. As a one year long challenge across multiple stages comprising of design defence, multiple rounds of technical inspections and actual construction of the vehicle, this event helps shape future engineers through competitive spirit and encompasses all elements of a vehicle building for aesthetics in design, to the choice of parts, through structure design and modelling, to fabrication and testing.

The students are guided and mentored by industry professionals and faculty advisers who are imparted training and guidance by technical experts of SAEINDIA. The students were given nearly one year time to prepare their prototype. The upcoming finale will be judged by a panel of eminent experts from FMSCI (Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) and the automotive industry.

About SAEINDIA:

SAEINDIA is an engineering and scientific society dedicated to the advancement of mobility industry in India. SAEINDIA is the largest affiliate of SAE International, USA, an organization founded in 1905.  SAE (Previously Society of Automotive Engineers) counts over 1,20,000 engineers, business executives, educators and students as members from more across 120 countries. SAEINDIA has 32000 members.

For more details on SAE Activities, please visit www.sae.org and www.saeindia.org

Issued by:

Corporate Communications,

Maruti Suzuki India Limited,

1, Nelson Mandela Road,

Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Ph: 91-11- 4607 5414 / 4678 1000 / 4678 1113

Website: www.marutisuzuki.com