Doha [Qatar], January 26 India's first team in the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Prototype category clinches third place. Team Renew from Kumaraguru Institutions, Coimbatore, has secured Third Position at the prestigious 41st Shell Eco-Marathon Asia Pacific 2026, held at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar, from January 21 to 25, according to a release.
Competing as India's first-ever team in the highly technical Hydrogen Fuel Cell - Prototype category, the student-led team competed against leading universities from across the Asia-Pacific region to achieve this historic podium finish. By translating classroom learning into a race-ready, net-zero hydrogen vehicle, the team has showcased India's growing capabilities in sustainable mobility innovation.
A Victory for Sustainable Mobility: The Shell Eco-Marathon challenges students to design, build, and operate the world's most energy-efficient vehicles. Team ReNew's success is the result of 10 months of intensive research and development conducted at the KCT Garage. Their hydrogen prototype, inspired by the aerodynamics of a kingfisher bird, met the competition's stringent technical and safety standards while delivering consistent on-track performance.
Engineering Excellence: The podium-winning vehicle featured an advanced basalt fibre composite structure, enabling a lightweight design of just 45 kg, marking a 21 kg reduction from the team's previous model without compromising structural integrity. Powered by a BLDC hub motor system and supported by an optimised energy management strategy, the hydrogen fuel cell prototype achieved an efficiency of 277 km/m³ of hydrogen during the competition, demonstrating strong performance with a clean, sustainable energy source.
The Team Behind the Triumph: Led by Captain Aswin Karthik, Vice-captain Dhanasri, and piloted by Shobika, the 14-member multidisciplinary student team designed and fabricated nearly every component of the vehicle in-house, except for the motor and fuel cell.
The project, valued at approximately 42 lakhs, was supported by Kumaraguru Institution. The Shell Eco-Marathon is one of the world's leading student engineering competitions couraging young innovators to push the boundaries of energy efficiency and mobility solutions.