IIT Madras students successfully tested Hyperloop Prototype 'Avishkar Hyperloop'

Chennai, India (Urban Transport News): While Elon Musk's The Boring Company aims to build hyperloops and tunnels to revolutionize travel in the USA, a team of students from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has achieved a remarkable milestone by successfully creating a hyperloop prototype.

But before delving into this accomplishment, let's revisit what a hyperloop is all about. The hyperloop concept, popularized by Elon Musk, envisions a high-speed transportation system where capsules, equipped with air bearings, traverse low-pressure environments (typically tunnels) inside a tube. This innovation holds the promise of significantly reducing travel times.

The IIT-Madras team has aptly named their ambitious project 'Avishkar Hyperloop.' This impressive prototype was developed by a dedicated team comprising 50 undergraduate and doctoral candidates.

The Avishkar Hyperloop essentially consists of a substantial tube, sealed within a low-pressure system, usually in the form of a tunnel. This tube has the potential to cover an astonishing distance of 350 kilometers in a mere 30 minutes, making it a potential game-changer in the realm of transportation.

The team's remarkable achievement did not go unnoticed, as India's Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, commended their efforts, expressing her congratulations and best wishes for their future endeavors.

According to reports from a reliable source, the team secured a grant of Rs 8.34 crore from the Ministry of Railways last year. This grant followed a proposal presented by IIT-Madras, advocating for the development of an indigenous hyperloop system in India.

Notably, Avishkar Hyperloop was the sole Asian team to reach the finals of the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition in 2019, further highlighting the team's dedication and innovative prowess.

The successful development of the Avishkar Hyperloop prototype is a testament to the talent and ingenuity of young minds in India and their potential to contribute to the advancement of transportation technology on a global scale.