IIT Madras, with support from the Ministry of Railways, has developed India’s first hyperloop test track. The track is 422 meters long. Once implemented, hyperloop technology could cover 350 km in just 30 minutes. This means a Delhi-Jaipur journey (about 300 km) could take less than half an hour.
Sharing the news on X (formerly Twitter), Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote, “Government-academia collaboration is driving innovation in futuristic transportation.”
“This will prove to be a very important step in promoting modern and innovative changes in the means of travel,” Vaishnaw also said.
Vaishnaw highlighted the Modi government’s resolve to take the country ahead on the path of innovation and said that it is due to this reason that the ministry is able to work together with educational institutions.
Hyperloop is the fifth mode of transportation, a high-speed train that travels in a near-vacuum tube. The reduced air resistance allows the capsule inside the tube to reach speeds of more than 1000 km/h. Elon Musk, who heads SpaceX and Tesla, proposed the idea of Hyperloop to the world in 2013 through a whitepaper – ‘Hyperloop Alpha.’
All you need to know about Hyperloop competition
As many as Ten Hyperloop teams comprising 200 students are competing in Asia’s first Global Hyperloop Competition (GHC) 2025 being organised by the IIT Madras
“The competition is not only a celebration of innovation but also a testament of how India is emerging as a leader in transportation technology,” said Pankaj Sharma, Principal Executive Director, Railway Board.
The competition is being conducted by IIT Madras, IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation and SAE India, with additional support from the Ministry of Railways, Government of India.
“Days are not far off when our country will realise very fast hyperloop connectivity between important destinations across our nation,” said V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras,
“A key objective of the event is to showcase and propagate hyperloop concepts worldwide, fostering a transformative spirit among young minds in the field of transportation,” he said.
