IIT-Madras spinout TuTr Hyperloop and BEML to co-develop India’s first full-scale hyperloop pod

 CHENNAI:
IT Madras–incubated TuTr Hyperloop has partnered with state-owned engineering major BEML Ltd to develop the country’s first full-scale hyperloop passenger and cargo pod, marking a significant step forward for high-speed transport in India.

The partnership, formalised at a ceremony ihere on August 4, marks a major milestone in India’s high-speed transport roadmap. Under the agreement, BEML will serve as the principal manufacturing partner, lending its industrial scale and precision engineering capabilities to the prototype Hyperloop pod.

TuTr Hyperloop, founded by a team of engineers and researchers from IIT Madras, is among a handful of startups globally working to commercialise Hyperloop technology—a system where pods glide through low-pressure tubes using magnetic levitation (Maglev) and linear induction motors, potentially reaching speeds upwards of 1,000 km/h.

“This partnership is a leap forward for India’s aspirations in high-speed, clean transportation,” said Shantanu Roy, chairman and managing director of BEML. “It supports the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat by turning futuristic mobility into reality, powered by Indian innovation and engineering.”

The project aims to develop a full-scale prototype of the pod at IIT Madras, combining TuTr’s advanced R&D in propulsion and levitation with BEML’s legacy in manufacturing complex transport systems. If successful, the collaboration could position India as a global contender in next-generation mobility solutions.

“We’re translating scientific research into tangible transport technologies,” said Prof V Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras. “With BEML’s support, we can now build at scale and precision, accelerating the journey from lab to market.”

While Hyperloop remains untested at commercial scale, the technology has captured the imagination of both policymakers and transport planners for its potential to dramatically cut travel times while reducing environmental impact. The BEML-TuTr initiative is expected to address some of the engineering and manufacturing challenges associated with deploying such systems in the Indian context.

Industry observers view the tie-up as a significant endorsement of Hyperloop’s feasibility—especially given BEML’s decades-long experience supplying critical infrastructure for metro rail, defence, and aerospace.

The collaboration adds to a growing number of university–industry partnerships that seek to move frontier technologies from concept to construction. For TuTr, the alliance offers a path to scale up its modular pod systems, eventually targeting deployment corridors across high-traffic freight and passenger routes.

Whether India’s first Hyperloop pod hits the track in time for its 2047 aspirations remains to be seen. But with this partnership, the country is inching closer to turning its sci-fi transit dreams into steel-and-composite reality.