Team Panthera wins the perseverance and Spirit Award At The Make The Future Singapore Festival
Mar 20, 2018
The first-ever Make the Future Singapore, a festival of ideas and innovation for Asia saw around 123 student teams representing each of the 20 countries participating in the eighth edition of Shell Eco-marathon Asia where student teams from Asia Pacific and the Middle East showcase their self-built vehicles. The 4 day festival held at the Changi Exhibition Centre, Singapore is celebrating the best of energy and mobility.

The shortlisted 12 Indian student teams were: Team BITS (Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani), DTU Supermileage (Delhi Technological University, Delhi), Team Averera (Indian Institute of Technology – Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi), Team Panthera (Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, Delhi), Team ETA (K.J.Somaiya College Of Engineering), Team Contriver (Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management and Engineering, Mumbai), Team Kaizen (Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar), Project Garuda (RV College of Engineering), Team Inferno, Team FUTURAMIC (Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology, Bangalore), Team Hypergreen SRM University Delhi – NCR, Ghaziabad) and Team Eco-Titans (VIT university, Vellore).
Team Panthera of Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, India won the Perseverance and Spirit of the Event. They inspired not only the judges, but the young girls back home in their town. They continuously showed perseverance, both on the road to Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2017, but more importantly motivating the other teams at the competition with their resilience. As the first all-girl team from India, they went against the norm. It's not every day young girls grow up thinking they will one day be a mechanical engineer, but this group of girls went against all odds and went ahead to build their vehicle whilst still convincing their university to support their participation. Receiving official support at the last minute, the team overcome many hurdles to finally step foot on the competition ground after trying for the second year.
The all girls team from Panthera was a star team at the event with the regional media, other participants and even those attending the festival keen on meeting and interacting with the enthusiastic and energetic group of mechanical engineers. So much so, that the famous singer/songwriter Pixie Lott came off stage to meet with the girls. The enthusiastic girls defied convention and silenced naysayers who told them to send boys instead when they tried to purchase raw materials for their vehicle.“We were very excited and encouraged to be given the opportunity to meet Pixie” said Team Panthera’s Kashika Tripathi, 20. Participating in Shell Eco-marathon Asia has helped prove to ourselves and others that machines and tools can equally belong in the hands of women. We hope to inspire more girls back home and from around the region to be bold in pursuing careers in science and engineering.”
Nitin Prasad, Country Chairman, Shell India said, "I am very proud of Team Panthera. The all girls team were determined and had all the grit and determination needed for this exciting competition. Make the Future is an excellent platform that aims to engage with young minds and encourage innovative thinking. India's participation in SEM past few years has been commendable. We had 12 teams this year, one of the highest, and we hope to see a similar response in the future as well"
Team Averera from IIT BHU’s battery electric prototype Alterno V1.2 achieved a mileage 132 km/kwhr. They look participating next year with a lot more vigour and excitement #becausepassionchangeseverything
Team Hypergreen’s prototype Iresh was built with carbon fibre and it weighed only about 400 gms. The collapsible steering column and impact sensors used in the vehicle can be life-saving and ensure drivers’ safety during an accident of frontal impact.
The inaugural edition of Make the Future Singapore saw more than 20,000 members of the public, alongside representatives from business, academia and government, explore the future of energy and mobility through open dialogue and thought-provoking experiential zones.
On the side of Make the Future Festival in Singapore, the event also shined the spotlight on young entrepreneurs. Held as part of the opening festivities, the Shell #makethefuture Accelerator was an interactive event designed to help entrepreneurs turn their bright energy ideas into businesses that can expand across Asia. Through a combination of talks, strategy sessions and brainstorm discussions with experts from government, the media, Singapore’s thriving start-up scene, the event provided a platform for the entrepreneurs to share their challenges and get inspiration to expand their thinking.
The three start-ups: Smart Joules, Graviky and Carbon Masters answer the question that growing economies like India are facing India today: how to produce more energy while reducing carbon emissions. Smart Joules, Graviky, Carbon Masters have found an innovative way to conserve more energy from buildings and reduce emissions from cars and kitchens. The three participated in the Make the Future Accelerator Singapore event and discussed, deliberated and found solutions to challenges related to business expansion across Asia, business expansion through new capital and ways to overcome the burden of regulations. They will be invited to the inauguration of Shell Technology Centre Bangalore (STCB) to participate in the accelerator event and pitch their ideas to an esteemed jury including senior leaders from Shell on March 30, 2017. Senior leaders from the start-up space in India, energy engaged entrepreneurs, Shell leadership and media will be present during the event. The winner will be felicitated by the Chief Guest at the inauguration of Shell Technology Centre in Bangalore on March 31, 2017.
Note To Editors:
About Shell Eco-marathon
Shell Eco-marathon is a unique, global competition that challenges students to push the boundaries of energy efficiency on the road. There are three regional Shell Eco-marathon competitions held throughout the year in Asia, America and Europe. The competition provides an arena for students to test vehicles they design and build themselves. It aims to inspire young people to become scientists and engineers of the future.
Shell Eco-marathon began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the United States as a friendly wager between scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle. In 1985 in France, Shell Eco-marathon as we know it today was born. In April 2007, the Shell Eco-marathon Americas event was launched in the United States, and in 2010, the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia was held in Malaysia, up until 2013. The event
was held in Manila, Philippines from 2014 to 2016 and moves to Singapore as part of the Make the Future festival for the first time in 2017.
About Shell India
Shell is one of the most diversified international oil company in India's energy sector. It is a major private sector supplier of crude products, chemicals and technology to public/private sector oil companies. With over 4500 staff in the country, Shell has a significant technology centre, a financial business operations centre, an in-house global IT centre and operates a joint venture LNG receiving and re-gasification terminal. Through its subsidiary company BG Exploration and Production India Limited, Shell holds a 30% interest in, and is joint operator of, the Panna - Mukta oil and gas fields and the Mid and South Tapti gas and condensate fields (PMT fields). Shell also holds a 32.5% equity stake in Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL). MGL has to its credit the distinction of pioneering the natural gas distribution network in Mumbai and its neighbouring areas.
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