IIT Madras Launches India's First Hyperloop Test Track.

National

In February 2025, India marked a significant achievement in transportation with the unveiling of its first hyperloop test track at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras in Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN). The 422-meter-long facility was developed with support from the Ministry of Railways (MoR). This test track is part of a broader initiative to develop a full-scale Hyperloop system, with the Mumbai-Pune corridor being a key candidate for the first commercial project.


      - Hyperloop technology, first proposed by Elon Musk in 2013, aims to revolutionize long-distance travel by drastically reducing travel times.

      - The hyperloop technology utilizes a magnetically levitated pod inside a vacuum tube to eliminate friction and air resistance, potentially reducing travel time between New Delhi (Delhi) and Jaipur (Rajasthan) – approximately 300 kilometers – to just 30 minutes.

      - This high-speed transport system offers benefits such as immunity to weather conditions, collision-free travel, speeds twice that of airplanes, and low energy consumption.

Main Point :-   (i) The Hyperloop is a high-speed transportation system that uses capsules or pods traveling through vacuum-sealed tubes, reaching speeds of up to 1,100 km/hour.

      (ii) The hyperloop system uses vacuum-sealed tubes to reduce air resistance, electromagnetic propulsion for high-speed travel, and capsules equipped with advanced life support systems for safety and comfort.

(iii) The Ministry of Railways (MoR) has already granted IIT Madras Rs. 8.7 crore (approximately USD 1 million) twice for the hyperloop project’s development and has provided an additional USD 1 million grant, marking the third such contribution to accelerate the project’s progress.

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