EBDC 6.0 - Electric Bike Design Challenge Inaugurated at SRIT

Coimbatore: The Electric Bike Design Challenge (EBDC) 6.0 was officially inaugurated at Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology (SRIT), Coimbatore, on 22 September 2026 at 10:30 AM, bringing together 22 colleges and around 600 students for a four-day electric mobility and engineering innovation event.

The inaugural function was graced by Narendran Soundararaj, Joint Managing Trustee, SNR Sons Charitable Trust, Coimbatore. The programme was attended by Dr. J. David Rathnaraj, Principal, SRIT; Dr. P. T. Saravanakumar, Professor & Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering; and Dr. S. Sangeetha, Head, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, along with faculty members, students, industry representatives and participating teams.

As part of the inaugural programme, an Industry-Academia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Grow iTech, Coimbatore; Schematic Industrial Solutions, Bengaluru; and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, SRIT. The MoU signing ceremony was held at 10:00 AM at the SRIT Board Room in the presence of Narendran Soundararaj. Siva Ganesh Vellingiri, Founder & CEO, Grow iTech; Priya Prakash, Founder & Managing Director, Schematic Industrial Solutions; Dr. J. David Rathnaraj, Principal, SRIT; and Dr. P. T. Saravanakumar, Professor & Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, participated in the ceremony. The MoU aims to strengthen industry-academia collaboration through industrial training, skill development, practical exposure, industry-oriented projects and career development opportunities for students.

EBDC 6.0 provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate their technical knowledge, creativity and practical skills in electric vehicle design and development. The sixth edition has witnessed enthusiastic participation from 22 colleges and approximately 600 students, with 23 teams competing across two categories: 9 teams in the 1 kW category and 14 teams in the 2 kW category.

The four-day event features various technical challenges and evaluations focusing on electric vehicle design, fabrication, performance, safety, innovation and sustainable mobility. The participants gain valuable hands-on experience by applying engineering concepts to real-world electric mobility challenges.

EBDC 6.0 brings together students, academic institutions, faculty members and industry professionals, creating a platform for innovation, technical learning and industry interaction. The event promotes hands-on engineering education, entrepreneurship, sustainable mobility and industry-academia collaboration, while encouraging young engineers to develop innovative solutions for the future of electric transportation.