IIT Madras to Host Asia's First International Hyperloop Competition
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will host Asia's first international Hyperloop competition from February 21 to 25, 2025. The event aims to bring together global stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of high-speed, sustainable transit systems, officials announced.
Hyperloop is an advanced concept of transportation proposed by Elon Musk in 2013. His whitepaper, known as 'Hyperloop Alpha', describes travel in high-speed vacuum tube trains where a near-vacuum environment would reduce air resistance, enabling the capsule to exceed 1,000 kilometers per hour.
The Hyperloop Competition will feature and promote Hyperloop ideas globally. It is intended to encourage a transformative spirit among young engineers and designers. According to Satya Chakravarthy, Professor at IIT Madras, "This event provides a platform for students, researchers, and industry leaders to share their dreams, passion, and expertise concerning the future of mobility".
The competition will be organized by IIT Madras, IITM Pravartak, and SAEIndia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. The event will be conducted at the Hyperloop test infrastructure located at IIT Madras, a 450-meter test track developed with the support of Indian Railways, ArcelorMittal, L&T, and HindalCo.
Pranav Singhal, Student Head of Hyperloop at IIT Madras, said that the competition accelerates innovation and inter-disciplinary collaborations. The competition marks a great achievement for IIT Madras and an international platform for young engineers to take forward the transport ecosystems. The competition will be an emblem of the power of ingenuity and teamwork that shapes transport systems in the future.
