Tucked away in the IIT Madras Discovery Campus is a gleaming 422-metre metallic tube—India’s bold bet on vacuum-based ultra-high-speed transport. This is the testbed for Avishkar Hyperloop, a student-led project that has become the country’s most serious shot at pioneering Hyperloop technology.
Funded by over ₹30 crore from the Union government since 2022, with the latest tranche released in February, the project is being guided by the Ministry of Railways. The ambition: build a full-scale 40–50 km Hyperloop test track—something no other country has done yet. Hyperloop technology promises pod-based travel at up to 1,200 kmph inside vacuum tubes, thanks to electromagnetic levitation and near-zero friction. “We’re using a concrete tube prototype instead of steel to cut costs by over 80%,” said Prem Mukkannavar, a civil engineering student at IIT Madras. “We’re also building an end-to-end booster-cruiser system with energy-efficient dual motors.” The Avishkar team’s innovations include a mission-control interface for real-time diagnostics and testing of onboard systems like life support and thermal control—borrowing methods from space technology. Their Pod 5.0 reached the Global Top-5 at the 2023 European Hyperloop Week and preparations are underway for the 2025 edition this July.
But major challenges remain: sustaining a vacuum in porous concrete, levitating pods at high speeds, safety regulation, and land acquisition for long-distance corridors. Even Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has termed the tech “nascent”. Global tests have so far reached only 387 kmph under controlled conditions, far short of commercial promises. Still, India is charging ahead. IIT Madras has partnered with Chennai-based TuTr Hyperloop, in which it holds a stake, to accelerate commercialisation. TuTr has tied up with the Technical University of Munich, Neoways Technologies and transport firm SYSTRA to move cargo on pilot tracks, with a target of 150–200 kmph by year-end. The first full cargo pod, expected to move a 100 kg load, is in the works. A long-distance trial between Chennai and Bengaluru is the ultimate goal—reducing travel to 30 minutes across 350 km. “We’ll begin with parcels through railways and ports. Cargo will be our entry point,” said Aravind Bharadwaj, CEO, TuTr.
With support from giants like L&T Construction, ArcelorMittal and Tube Investments, the project follows a consortium model that taps into India Inc’s expertise. A Centre of Excellence has also been set up by Indian Railways at IIT Madras to back development. While global Hyperloop efforts remain stalled or scaled down, India’s academic-startup-government collaboration is quietly but steadily pushing ahead—rooted in indigenous innovation and a high-stakes ambition to transform future mobility.
