IIT Madras and the Deendayal Port Authority at Kandla are examining how Hyperloop technology could support high-speed freight movement and connect ports with logistics parks, warehouses, industrial clusters and inland freight terminals. The push gained fresh industry participation at the Parivahan 2.0 – Global Hyperloop Summit held at IIT Madras’ Discovery satellite campus in Thaiyur near Chennai on September 19.
At the summit, TuTr Hyperloop and Larsen and Toubro signed an agreement aimed at expanding industry participation in the development of Hyperloop-related technologies. The agreement was presented as a step towards taking the technology beyond laboratory research and into potential transport and logistics applications.
Addressing the summit virtually, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said Hyperloop could enable faster and more efficient cargo movement between ports and inland economic nodes. He referred to the progress of TuTr Hyperloop’s Linear Induction Motor technology demonstrator at Deendayal Port, followed by Maglev technology, as an important stage in moving from laboratory work to port-based testing and possible commercialisation.
Sonowal said India should move beyond technology demonstration and work towards a full-scale cargo Hyperloop system as part of its future logistics network. The statement places the technology within the country’s broader effort to improve port-to-hinterland connectivity, although the summit announcement did not provide a commercial launch date, route length, project cost or confirmed construction schedule.
IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti said Hyperloop had developed into a major interdisciplinary initiative at the institute, involving several departments. He stressed the importance of demonstrating indigenous technology on real platforms and called for Hyperloop clubs across IITs, along with skill-development courses covering structures, levitation and propulsion through SWAYAM and SWAYAM Plus.
The summit examined the technological, infrastructure, regulatory and commercial requirements for building a Hyperloop ecosystem. Technical sessions focused on Linear Induction Motors and Magnetic Levitation, while panel discussions considered collaboration between government, industry and academia. The focus on these areas reflects the multiple approvals, engineering systems and institutional partnerships that would be required before any freight corridor could be built.
Deendayal Port Authority Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh said the initiative would bring students, researchers, innovators, startups and industry together to examine the possibilities and viability of Hyperloop-based transportation solutions. The port’s involvement provides a real-world testing context for a technology that is being considered primarily for freight and port connectivity in the current initiative.
IIT Madras Faculty Advisor Satya Chakravarthy said the third Global Hyperloop Competition in 2027 would be integrated with Shaastra, the institute’s annual technical festival. The competition is intended to provide an institutional platform for continued research and wider participation in Hyperloop technology. The summit did not announce a confirmed full-scale freight corridor or specify when commercial operations could begin.
