Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the Hyperloop testing facility at IIT Madras on Saturday, announcing that the Hyperloop tube in development, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, is set to become the world’s longest at 410 meters. This facility is already recognized as the longest Hyperloop test center in Asia.
The Hyperloop concept involves a high-speed train system that operates within a vacuum tube. In a social media update on Sunday, Vaishnaw shared, “The longest Hyperloop tube in Asia (410 m)… soon to be the world’s longest.”
On March 15, during his visit to the Hyperloop testing site at the IIT Madras Discovery Campus, the minister observed a live demonstration. He commended the team for successfully developing the entire testing system for Hyperloop transportation using indigenous technologies and expressed optimism about India’s readiness for Hyperloop transport, noting that preliminary tests have shown promising results.
The Railway Ministry has allocated funding and provided technical support for the Hyperloop initiative. Additionally, the electronics technology for this project will be developed at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. Vaishnaw highlighted that the highly skilled workforce at ICF has already produced sophisticated electronic systems for Vande Bharat high-speed trains, which positions them well for the development of the Hyperloop’s technology.
The minister extended his congratulations to the young innovators from IIT Madras and the Avishkar organization for their successful testing efforts. After his tour of the Hyperloop facility, Vaishnaw visited IIT Madras’s campus in Guindy, where he examined an exhibition called Open House 2025, organized by the IIT’s Center for Innovation.
During this interaction with students and innovators, he emphasized that India is poised to emerge as a leader across various sectors under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He praised the youth for their exceptional performance in fields like data science, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors, noting that India has the highest number of skilled young individuals globally who will contribute significantly to the nation’s development.
Additionally, he announced that there are currently five operational semiconductor facilities in India and that the first domestically produced semiconductor is expected to be launched by the end of the year. The minister also awarded prizes and shields to the winners of the innovation competition held during the exhibition, encouraging them to continue developing new inventions. Dr. Kamakoti, the Director of IIT Madras, was present at the event.
