The team
The people behind the car
Students from VIT-AP University design, build and run every part of SWR. Here is how the work is divided, who does it, and how to join them.
Our members
Meet the People Behind SWR
Rajith Kalyan
Team Principal
Lead Suspension, Brakes and Hydraulics Engineer. Head of department: Chassis, Suspension, Brakes and Hydraulics.
Arin Mankala
Team Technical Director
Lead Powertrain, Drivetrain and Embedded Systems Engineer. Head of department: Data Acquisition (DAC), Business and Operations, Powertrain, Drivetrain and ECE Embedded Systems.
Atharv Manekar
Lead Chassis and Brakes Engineer
Devarsh Paul
Chassis, Powertrain and Drivetrain Engineer
Vijwaldeep Singh
Chassis and Suspension Engineer
Joel Shavio
Lead Data Acquisition (DAC) Engineer
Abhinav
Data Acquisition (DAC) Engineer
Akshath Varma
Data Acquisition (DAC) Engineer
Gagan Javaji
Data Acquisition (DAC) Engineer
Mahipat Rathore
Powertrain and Drivetrain Engineer
Shabrish Nair
Powertrain Engineer
Agastya Raina
ECE Embedded Systems Engineer
Shariq Moopan
ECE Embedded Systems Engineer
Ethan Jacob
ECE Embedded Systems Engineer
Samanthak Prajwal
ECE Embedded Systems Engineer
MSNVP Nandan
Head of Social Media and Design
P Stithika Reddy
Social Media Committee
Ashutosh
Graphic Designer
Kushal Choudhary
Graphic Designer
Ashish
Content Creation
Subteams
Who does what
Each subteam owns its part of the car, or of the team behind it, from first sketch to finished result.
01
Chassis
Designs and builds the structure of the car and makes sure the driver fits safely inside it.
On the car: Chassis
Responsible for
- Designing and building the main structure
- Fitting the driver safely into the cockpit
- Placing mounting points for every other system
Works closely with
Every subteam, because every system bolts to the chassis. Mounting points are agreed early so nobody designs into a clash.
Head of department: Rajith Kalyan
Members
- Rajith Kalyan · Lead Engineer
- Atharv Manekar · Lead Chassis and Brakes Engineer
- Devarsh Paul · Chassis, Powertrain and Drivetrain Engineer
- Vijwaldeep Singh · Chassis and Suspension Engineer
02
Suspension
Works out how the wheels move and how the car turns, then designs the parts that make it happen.
On the car: Suspension and vehicle dynamics
Responsible for
- Setting the suspension geometry
- Designing the links, uprights and hubs
- Steering design and car set-up
Works closely with
Chassis on pick-up points, Brakes and Hydraulics and Drivetrain on the uprights and hubs, and Aerodynamics on how downforce loads the tyres.
Head of department: Rajith Kalyan
Members
- Rajith Kalyan · Lead Engineer
- Vijwaldeep Singh · Chassis and Suspension Engineer
03
Brakes and Hydraulics
Owns the pedal box, the hydraulics and everything that slows the car down.
On the car: Brakes
Responsible for
- Designing the pedal assembly
- Sizing the hydraulics
- Tuning front-to-rear brake balance
Works closely with
Suspension on packaging inside the wheels, and Chassis on the pedal box and driver ergonomics.
Head of department: Rajith Kalyan
Members
- Rajith Kalyan · Lead Engineer
- Atharv Manekar · Lead Chassis and Brakes Engineer
04
Powertrain
Chooses, packages and cools the power source that drives the car.
On the car: Powertrain
Responsible for
- Choosing and packaging the power unit
- Designing the cooling
- Housing the fuel or energy storage safely
Works closely with
Drivetrain on getting the power out, Chassis on mounting and space, ECE Embedded Systems on control, and Data Acquisition on sensing.
Head of department: Arin Mankala
Members
- Arin Mankala · Lead Engineer
- Devarsh Paul · Chassis, Powertrain and Drivetrain Engineer
- Mahipat Rathore · Powertrain and Drivetrain Engineer
- Shabrish Nair · Powertrain Engineer
05
Drivetrain
Takes the drive from the power unit and delivers it to the rear wheels.
On the car: Drivetrain
Responsible for
- Choosing the gearing
- Setting up the differential
- Sizing the driveshafts
Works closely with
Powertrain on the power unit's output and mounting, Suspension on the uprights and hubs, and Chassis on mounting points.
Head of department: Arin Mankala
Members
- Arin Mankala · Lead Engineer
- Devarsh Paul · Chassis, Powertrain and Drivetrain Engineer
- Mahipat Rathore · Powertrain and Drivetrain Engineer
06
Aerodynamics
Shapes the bodywork and studies how air moves around and through the car.
On the car: Aerodynamics
Responsible for
- Shaping the bodywork
- Designing the wings and floor
- Guiding air to whatever needs cooling
Works closely with
Suspension on balance and tyre load, and Powertrain on keeping everything cool.
Members
No members yet.
07
Data Acquisition (DAC)
Fits the sensors, logs what the car does and turns that data into answers.
Responsible for
- Choosing and fitting sensors
- Logging data on and off track
- Turning logged data into answers for the other subteams
Works closely with
ECE Embedded Systems on the electronics that carry the signals, and every subteam that needs a number from the track.
Head of department: Arin Mankala
Members
- Arin Mankala · Lead Engineer
- Joel Shavio · Lead Data Acquisition (DAC) Engineer
- Abhinav · Data Acquisition (DAC) Engineer
- Akshath Varma · Data Acquisition (DAC) Engineer
- Gagan Javaji · Data Acquisition (DAC) Engineer
08
ECE Embedded Systems
Builds the car's electronics: the control boards, the wiring harness and the driver's controls.
On the car: Electronics and data
Responsible for
- Designing and programming the control electronics
- Building the wiring harness
- The steering wheel controls and display
Works closely with
Data Acquisition on sensors and logging, Powertrain on control, and every subteam that needs a switch or a wire.
Head of department: Arin Mankala
Members
- Arin Mankala · Lead Engineer
- Agastya Raina · ECE Embedded Systems Engineer
- Shariq Moopan · ECE Embedded Systems Engineer
- Ethan Jacob · ECE Embedded Systems Engineer
- Samanthak Prajwal · ECE Embedded Systems Engineer
10
Business and Operations
Runs the business side of the team: finance, sponsorship, planning, logistics and communications.
Responsible for
- Budget, finance and cost reporting
- Sponsor relations and fundraising
- Planning, logistics and team communications
Works closely with
Every subteam, turning their needs into a budget, a plan and a schedule the whole team can follow.
Head of department: Arin Mankala
Members
- Arin Mankala · Lead
Working together
How the subteams fit together
A race car is a set of compromises. Good ones only happen when the people making them talk early and often.
Shared targets
Mass, cost and performance targets are set for the whole car first, then divided between the subteams.
Agreed interfaces
Where two systems meet, the subteams agree the mounting points and space before either one finalises a design.
Reviews before manufacture
A part is checked by the subteams it affects before it is released to the workshop.
One workshop
Everyone builds, fixes and tests side by side, whichever subteam they belong to.
Join SWR
Claim your spot on the grid
We are looking for students who want to design, build, test or help run a race car team. Pick the subteam that excites you most, or tell us what you are good at and we will help you find the right place.
Claim Your Spot on the Grid (Google Form, opens in a new tab)
09
Social Media and Design
Tells the team's story online and creates the graphics and visual identity that go with it.
Responsible for
Works closely with
Every subteam for the updates worth sharing, and Business and Operations on material for partners.
Head of department: MSNVP Nandan
Members