Union Minister Vaishnaw announces development of Hyperloop electronics tech at ICF Chennai

Chennai, Mar 15 (PTI) Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday announced that an electronics component technology for the ambitious Hyperloop project, developed by IIT-Madras, will be built at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

After his visit to the Hyperloop testing facility at IIT Madras' Thaiyur campus, Vaishnaw, who holds the portfolios for Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology, said the 410-meter-long Hyperloop test tube is the longest of its kind in Asia.

The entire Hyperloop testing system has been developed using indigenous technologies, with encouraging results from the tests conducted so far. India is on the brink of introducing Hyperloop transportation, he added.

Tutr Hyperloop, a deep-tech startup incubated at IIT Madras, is preparing to launch the world’s first commercial Hyperloop project in India, aligned with the Centre’s Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 goals.

Vaishnaw congratulated the project team and said the Ministry of Railways has extended financial and technical support to the Hyperloop initiative.

He further said that all electronics technology for this cutting-edge project will be developed at the ICF facility in Chennai.

He also pointed out that the same highly skilled experts at ICF, who were behind the large electronics systems used in Vande Bharat high-speed trains, will now apply their expertise to the Hyperloop project.

Vaishnaw noted that today's youth are excelling in fields such as data science, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors, and India boasts the highest number of skilled youth in the world. These young professionals will play a crucial role in transforming India into a developed nation.

He also mentioned that there are currently five semiconductor facilities operational in the country, and the first Indian-made semiconductor is expected to be launched by the end of this year.

IIT Madras Director professor V Kamakoti said, "Hyperloop is undoubtedly the next generation transportation technology that is sustainable, fast and cost-effective. IIT Madras is extremely grateful to the Minister of Railways for his continuous support to ensure the successful development of this technology."

"I am so happy to see young, energetic engineers working on this new technology and doing new experiments. We are providing only small help. I think that this will really lead us to some good solutions for the country, for our people, for our startups and for the world of technology as well," he said on the cutting-edge innovations at the IIT Madras.


Later, Vaishnaw visited the Centre for Innovation students and the CFI Open House 2025, which showcased 60 cutting-edge technology innovations built by nearly 1000 students across 26 teams.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)