Formula Bharat 2026 concluded its historic 10th edition successfully, continuing to serve as a home for innovation, performance, and industry collaboration. As India’s official Formula Student competition, the event saw participation from over 60 student teams representing some of the most prestigious institutes across the nation.
With the cream of the crop on display, the event brought together the country’s brightest student engineers, leading academic institutions, and prominent industry leaders. Backed by event sponsors and industry partners such as MathWorks, DigiKey, Vecmocon Technologies, and Zuken, the platform showcased innovation in design, manufacturing, and next-generation mobility technologies.
Competition Winners
Formula Bharat 2026 featured participation across two categories: Combustion and Electric. Student engineers demonstrated impressive ingenuity and technical depth, with SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, and Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune, emerging as champions in the Combustion and Electric categories, respectively.
Combustion Category
- Winner: Camber Racing – SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
- Second Place: Eclipse Racing – Thakur College of Engineering & Technology, Mumbai
- Third Place: Ikshvaku Racing – The National Institute of Engineering, Mysore
Electric Category
- Winner: Veloce Racing – Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune
- Second Place: Raftar Formula Racing Electric – Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai
- Third Place: IIT Bombay Racing – Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai
Indian Hardware Startup Meet
Featuring as many as 14 startups, the Indian Hardware Startup Meet emerged as one of the key highlights of Formula Bharat 2026. The platform enabled meaningful engagement between student teams, startups, venture capitalists, industry leaders, and recruiters.
The meet offered startups the opportunity to showcase innovations across electric mobility, robotics, drones, advanced manufacturing, energy systems, and assistive technologies. At the same time, it provided students with a valuable platform to interact with both established industry stakeholders and emerging startups.
India’s First Formula Student Autonomous Vehicle Showcase
In a landmark development at Formula Bharat 2026, IIT Bombay Racing from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, presented India’s first-ever Formula Student Autonomous Vehicle.
Offering a glimpse into the future of autonomous and intelligent mobility, this achievement marked a significant milestone and set the stage for what comes next. Building on this momentum, Formula Bharat announced the introduction of an entirely new category for the 2027 competition.
From next year onwards, the competition will feature three categories:
- Combustion
- Electric
- Autonomous
Registrations for Formula Bharat 2027 will begin in March 2026, inviting teams from across the country to be part of the next chapter of innovation and competition.
Edited by Charanjot Singh Kohli
