
India’s Hyperloop leap: The future of ultra-high-speed travel begins now
ultra-high-speed rail (UHSR), or hyperloop. The concept was first published by Elon Musk in a 2013 white paper, 'Hyperloop Alpha'.
Hyperloop envisions pods carrying passengers or cargo in near-vacuum tubes at speeds approaching that of aircraft. Reduced friction and magnetic levitation enable significantly abbreviated travel times, reducing energy consumption and emissions compared to traditional modes.
India commissioned a 422-m hyperloop test track — the world's longest — in December 2024, developed by Avishkar Hyperloop at IIT Madras, in collaboration with the Indian Railways and L&T Construction. Last month, TuTr Hyperloop, another IIT Madras-incubated deep-tech startup, working with Swisspod Technologies, conducted India's first commercial hyperloop pod test run.
The primary challenges this new tech will encounter relate to infrastructure costs and technological hurdles. Safety concerns dominate discussions now, as the tech is in its nascent stage, and the regulatory framework is a work-in-progress.
While estimates put the global UHSR market at $6.6 bn by 2026, the market could explode if trials work. Richard Branson's Virgin Hyperloop is working on projects in the US, Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is building a commercial prototype between Abu Dhabi and Dubai that will cut travel time from 1.5 hrs to 12 mins.
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Musk's Boring Company has built a test tunnel in California and is talking about getting from DC to NYC in under- 30 mins, a distance flights take 80