Bhubaneswar-based IT Consulting firm, CSM Tech, has announced a partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras to develop an autonomously driven electric racecar of Indian origin by 2025.
As per the company’s statement, this collaboration involves CSM Tech’s backing of Raftar, a motorsports team comprising more than 40 students from diverse disciplines at IIT Madras. These students share a passion for automotive engineering and motorsports and annually take on the challenge of building a high-performance Formula Student race car.
The formalized collaboration was solidified through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in the presence of CSM Tech’s Founder & CEO, Priyadarshi Nanu Pany, the company’s CHRO, Lagna Panda, and IIT-Madras’ Dean of Industry Contribution & Sponsored Research, Manu Santhanam. The MoU signing also included members of the Raftar Team from IIT Madras, including Aravind Kumar Chandiran.
Pany expressed his confidence in the students and faculty’s capabilities, particularly their expertise in developing indigenous electronics, embedded technologies, and interdisciplinary skills. He encouraged Team Raftar to recognize their potential to drive innovation across various automotive sectors.
Originally established as a student club in 2008 with the goal of constructing a high-speed combustion-driven sports car, the Raftar team has achieved notable successes. Their achievements include three victories at Formula Bharat, a motorsports competition for educational institutions in India, as well as performances at international events such as Formula Germany.
CSM Tech also demonstrates its commitment to social responsibility through the CSM Foundation, its non-profit arm. The foundation has initiated scholarships and programs at institutions like IIT Delhi, aiming to broaden educational access and foster innovation.
