Delhi-Jaipur in just 30 minutes?! India’s First Hyperloop Test Track Unveiled at IIT Madras
This milestone positions India as an emerging leader in next-generation mobility solutions.
India has taken a groundbreaking step toward revolutionising its transportation landscape with the completion of the country’s first Hyperloop test track at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. The 422-meter-long test track, located at IIT Madras’s Discovery Campus in Thaiyur, was developed in collaboration with the Indian Railways and TuTr Hyperloop, a startup incubated at the institute. This milestone, announced by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, positions India as an emerging leader in next-generation mobility solutions.
The Hyperloop test track, a futuristic transportation system first conceptualised by Elon Musk, utilises near-vacuum tubes to propel pressurised pods at speeds exceeding 1,000 km/h. The project at IIT Madras has already demonstrated its potential, with initial tests showing the capability to cover 350 km in just 30 minutes - a feat that could shrink travel times dramatically across the country. For instance, a journey from Delhi to Jaipur, typically a multi-hour trip, could be reduced to half an hour.
Vaishnaw hailed the achievement as a testament to the power of collaboration between government and academia. “The first pod of 422 meters will go a long way in developing cutting-edge technologies,” he stated during a virtual address at the closing of the Global Hyperloop Competition 2025, hosted by IIT Madras. Posting a video on his X page, Vaishnaw has said "Government-academia collaboration is driving innovation in futuristic transportation."
He also revealed that the Ministry of Railways will provide a third grant of one million dollars to further advance the Hyperloop project, following two previous grants of the same amount. Plans are underway to extend the technology to a 40-50 km commercial corridor, with potential routes such as Mumbai to Pune in discussion, where travel time could be slashed to just 25 minutes.
The test track’s completion follows years of effort by IIT Madras’s Avishkar Hyperloop team, a group of 76 undergraduate and postgraduate students, alongside TuTr Hyperloop. The infrastructure, supported by partners such as ArcelorMittal, L&T, and HindalCo, has already hosted Asia’s first Global Hyperloop Competition from February 21-25, drawing innovators and industry leaders from around the world. The event showcased functional Hyperloop prototypes, reinforcing India’s growing influence in this high-speed travel domain.
This development promises not only speed but also sustainability, with Hyperloop systems designed to be energy-efficient and potentially powered by renewable sources such as solar energy. However, challenges remain, including land acquisition for longer routes and the high costs of scaling the technology. Despite these hurdles, optimism runs high. “Days are not far off when our country will realise very fast Hyperloop connectivity between important destinations,” said IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti.
As trials are set to begin soon, India’s Hyperloop test track stands as a bold symbol of innovation, hinting at a future where long-distance travel could be faster, greener, and more accessible than ever before.
