Hyperloop is a concept of high-speed travel in tubes where a pod-like vehicle travels through a tube at a speed which is more than the usual airline speed.
Hyperloop transport system is also financially and environmentally sustainable. The tubes can also go above ground on columns or underground. This eliminates the dangers of grade crossings. A grade crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road or path at the same level. It is believed that the Hyperloop is highly energy-efficient, quiet and autonomous.
The super-fast transportation system is based on an idea which belongs to Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors and SpaceX.
Hyperloop One, which was previously known as Hyperloop Technologies is based out of California, US.
The company is in talks with the Indian government discussing India's most promising Hyperloop routes.
Hyperloop One is in talks with other Indian companies as well to build and operate the vehicle on some routes, partly for now.
Hyperloop One is the only company in the world building a functional hyperloop system. The company has plans to build a reinvented and transformed mode of transportation.
Hyperloop convened a landmark innovation summit - The Hyperloop One Vision For India in New Delhi today. The summit, saw attendees like Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu and Amitabh Kant who is the CEO of NITI Aayog.
They discussed how Hyperloop One can augment India's vast transport network with reliable, clean, and on-demand autonomous transport, connecting India's major cities at faster-than-airline speeds.
One of the prospects of the project is that Hyperloop can reinvent and transform transportation in India, making the nation a global leader in innovation, efficiency, and regional economic growth.
INDIA AND HYPERLOOP ONE
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for transforming India and the role he sees of technology in driving this change is indeed remarkable," said Shervin Pishevar, Executive Chairman of Hyperloop One.
"India is an extremely important geography for developing Hyperloop networks and reimagining how cities and regions work. The Prime Minister's vision of connecting the country is directly aligned with Hyperloop One's objective of connecting the world.
"With initiatives such as 'Make In India' and 'Digital India', we do see ourselves working in this direction in India," said Shervin.
"Hyperloop One will help accelerate India's growth towards building substantial infrastructure that is both financially and environmentally sustainable," said Rob Lloyd, CEO of Hyperloop One.
"A transportation system like the Hyperloop will undoubtedly ease the pressure on existing infrastructure while enhancing the quality of life of the people. We are already working with the governments around the world on passenger and freight projects, and we look forward to also partnering with India to support this endeavour," he said.
UNDERSTANDING IT WITH DATA
The summit showcased teams which took a challenge - Hyperloop One Global Challenge (HOGC). Five semi-finalist teams proposed the high-speed transportation routes that could improve the lives of millions of Indian citizens.
The HOGC required the teams to develop proposals to integrate Hyperloop One's transport technology to move passengers and freight from point-to-point, swiftly, and on-demand.
The India semi-finalists include:
Bengaluru to Chennai: 334 km in 20 minutes. Meeting the demand of a passenger and freight super-corridor growing at 15% a year.
LUX Hyperloop Network
Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram: 736 km in 41 minutes. Connects two major ports in southern India with population centres of Coimbatore and Kochi.
Delhi to Mumbai via Jaipur and Indore: 1,317 km in 55 minutes. Freight and passengers. Connects two megacities and creates seaport access for landlocked intermediary cities in the interior.
Mumbai to Chennai via Bengaluru: 1,102 km in 50 minutes. Phased development for freight and passengers. Boosts capacity at ports of Mumbai and Chennai, creates a Suez Canal-like link between India's coasts.
Bengaluru to Chennai: 334 km in 20 minutes. Meeting the demand of a passenger and freight super-corridor growing at 15% a year. Connects with major airports.
If the concept kicks off, transportation will become more efficient in more ways than we can count.
The successful public demonstration of the propulsion motor in May 2016 is on track to run the world's first full-system test in 2017 in Nevada.