Chandigarh University Engineering Students Win First Prize at 'Brain Bolt' Innovation Marathon
Chandigarh University Engineering Students Clinch First Prize at Prestigious Innovation Marathon ‘Brain Bolt – The Engineers' Sprint’ in Hyderabad
Chandigarh University’s Mechanical Engineering Students Win First Prize of Rs 2 Lakh at ASME’s Brain Bolt 2025 Among 49 Teams from Top Engineering Institutes Across India
Chandigarh University’s Mechanical Engineering Students Win 1st Prize at ASME’s Brain Bolt – The Engineers' Sprint with Innovative Solutions
Chandigarh University’s Mechanical Engineering Students Shines Bright at ASME IMECE India 2025 Held First Time Ever in India
Mohali, 19 September 2025: Chandigarh University students have yet again excelled at the national level competition by winning the first prize of Rs 2 lakh at “Brain Bolt: The Engineer’s Sprint”, an innovation marathon for engineering students from across the country. This event was organized by American Society Of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) as part of International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (ASME-IMECE 2025), held in India for the first time ever, at Hyderabad.
The five-member Chandigarh University team named ‘Mech Minds United’, consisting of talented third-year Mechanical Engineering students -- SM Nafis Ahmad, Mohit Mishra, Akhand Pratap Singh Rana, Vishwa Raj Singh, and Krishna Kumar Jha – showcased their creativity, innovation, and the spirit of engineering excellence in tackling real-world industry challenges to win this one of the most prestigious engineering competitions.
Chandigarh University team clinched the first position among 49 teams, consisting of over 230 engineering students from leading engineering colleges across India, to win the ‘Brain Bolt 2025 – The Engineer’s Sprint’ by tackling real-world industry challenges during this innovation marathon which had first prize of Rs 2 lakh, second prize of Rs 1 lakh and third prize of Rs 50 thousand.
While over 300 competing teams have qualified for the first round of this competition to solve the preliminary challenge, only 49 teams including Chandigarh University’s team ‘Mech Minds United’ reached the second and final round where each team was required to resolve any one problem statement from the many given industry-led challenges during the 6-hoursprint.
Only 70% of each of the problem statements were released prior to the event, remaining 30% with a “twist” were shared on the day of the event, giving an opportunity to participants to experiment, innovate, and come up with creative solutions in an engaging, hands-on atmosphere.
In Round 1 of the competition, Chandigarh University team had asked them to design a Smart Glass Cleaning Robot for high-rise buildings. Understanding the dangers of traditional cleaning methods, they conceptualized a robotic system that combined suction, brushes, spray, and microfiber cleaning with IoT and AI-based monitoring to save lives and conserve energy. As the judges were impressed with their Computer Aided Design model and animation, Chandigarh University team was selected for the final of the competition in Hyderabad.
In this final round, Chandigarh University team first designed a 3D-printable safe, engaging and lightweight educational toy - a spring-powered ball launcher made - to teach school children about angles, force and motion skills. After this, CU Team faced their ultimate test of redesigning and optimizing their prototype during the 6-hour on-site challenge. The Chandigarh University team displayed great technical efficiency during this challenge by coming out with modular and portable educational today by using its material efficiency with the use of DfAM principles, topology optimization, and 3D printing. After live testing of their prototype, the Chandigarh University team delivered an innovative child-friendly solution, blended fun with education.
Congratulating the winning Mechanical Engineering students, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Chancellor of Chandigarh University, Satnam Singh Sandhu said "This victory at Brain Bolt—The Engineers Sprint showcases the spirit of innovation, teamwork and resilience among our students. More than the Rs 2 lakh prize money, thefirst place win at this national level competition is a monumental achievement that fills both the students and Chandigarh University with immense pride. I am confident this success will inspire future generations of engineers at Chandigarh University to continue tackling real-world challenges and make their mark on the global stage,”.
“During this innovation marathon, our engineering students displayed their skills for tackling real-world situations. For developing such skills, Chandigarh University integrates experiential learning through hands-on workshops, industry collaborations, and real-world projects which bridge the gap between theory and practice. Being a research-intensive and innovation-driven institution, Chandigarh University has 30 Industry-sponsored high-tech R&D labs and 15 Centers of Excellences established by leading MNCs which foster practical skills for a successful career in modern day world,” he added.
Founded in 1880 by leading industrialists, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) – with over 85,000 members in 135 countries -- enables collaboration, knowledge sharing, career enrichment and skills development across all engineering disciplines for developing solutions to benefit lives and livelihoods.
ASME's International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE) brings together research leaders from academia, government, and industry to make connections and share insights for innovation across engineering disciplines.