In September 2026, Team AgniRath made history as the first Indian team ever to make the podium of an international solar challenge at the South African (Sasol) Solar Challenge 2026,. Competing against veteran teams with years of experience and/or direct industry mentorship, we pulled off an impressive 1191.6 km- the most of any Indian team in an international solar race- over eight days to place third in the Challenger class and win the Telemetry Excellence Award.  

AgniRath’s race progression:

Day | Distance

Day 1 | 214.6 km

Day 2 | 302.5 km

Day 3 | 255.0 km

Day 4 | 0 km

Day 5 | 182.0 km

Day 6 | 57.0 km

Day 7 | 100.5 km

Day 8 | 80.0 km

Total | 1,191.6 km

 

The team started strong, covering over 200 km on the first day and placing second. Fighting tooth and nail to maintain our position, we covered impressive distances over the course of three days. When an unfortunate technical setback left us unable to race on day 4, we persevered, turning things around to place first for Day 5, the first Indian team ever to do so in Sasol. Powering through another three days, we successfully finished at third place.

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This is not only a historic victory, but also evidence of the power of renewable energy. Every track, every kilometre, every race is testament to the potential of solar innovation to fuel a sustainable atmanirbhar bharat.