Tata Steel and TuTr Hyperloop have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with IIT Madras to collaborate on the development and deployment of Hyperloop technology at scale. The main areas of research are the main design challenges and choice of materials. Hyperloop is a future option for fast, cheap and environmentally friendly transport for both passengers and cargo. Tubes, pods, propulsion systems and track are important components of the hyperloop system. Autonomous, floating pods travel through an evacuated pipe network. It promises to be 10 times more energy efficient than road transport and aviation, takes up 2-3 times less space than rail and road, and enables shorter travel times than aviation.

Dr. Debashish Bhattacharjee, Vice President, Technology & New Materials Business, Tata Steel, stated: “We encourage and advance homegrown technologies and are committed to leading them to commercial success. Globally, Hyperloop has enormous potential for the sustainable high-speed transport of tomorrow. We believe that this disruptive mobility technology can achieve its stated goal through the joint efforts of TuTr Hyperloop and Tata Steel, leveraging their core capabilities. As a materials company committed to corporate sustainability, we will contribute to finding solutions to critical challenges in the Hyperloop journey by leveraging our R&D capabilities and the Tata ecosystem.”

R Balaji, co-founder &CEO, TuTr Hyperloop said: “We are delighted to be working with Tata Steel on this groundbreaking project. We are currently developing and testing several options to make the Hyperloop technology solution a global benchmark for cost and efficiency. To achieve this goal, we must leverage the capabilities of world leaders such as Tata Steel. The partnership with Tata Steel enables us to solve material and design related challenges and make Hyperloop a reality.”

Tata Steel's core expertise lies in the design and development of steel and composite materials. It has identified Hyperloop as a suitable breakthrough technology in future mobility as part of its strategic intent to develop future-proof sustainable businesses. TuTr, an India-based deep tech startup incubated at IIT Madras, is at the forefront of this field, promising a low-cost hyperloop solution as its main value proposition. TuTr excels in pod and drive system design. Tata Steel and TuTr plan to work together to design, develop and commercialize the technology. Phase I works will take place at the 50m test track at IIT Madras. Subsequent work to complete 10 kilometers of track will be completed in phases II and III. Phases II and III will include the completion of subsequent work to build a 10 km track with the help of a group of complementary industrial partners from the automotive, construction and engineering sectors.