NEW DELHI: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday announced that the electronics component technology for the Hyperloop project would be developed at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. He made this announcement after visiting the Hyperloop testing facility at the IIT Madras Discovery Campus, where he witnessed a live demonstration.
The Minister claimed that the 410-meter-long Hyperloop test tube at IIT Chennai is the longest Hyperloop testing facility in Asia.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of his visit, the Minister shared that the entire testing system for Hyperloop transportation has been developed using indigenous technologies. He congratulated the young innovators behind this achievement for their collective efforts.
The Minister expressed confidence that India would soon be ready for Hyperloop transportation, as the technology currently under development has yielded promising results in the tests conducted so far.
He mentioned that the Railway Ministry has provided both financial funding and technical assistance for the Hyperloop project. Furthermore, all the electronics technology for the Hyperloop will now be developed at ICF Chennai. The Minister added that the highly skilled experts at ICF, who have successfully developed large electronic systems for the Vande Bharat high-speed trains, will also be responsible for developing the electronics technology for the Hyperloop.
The Minister also congratulated the team of young innovators from IIT Chennai and the Avishkar organization for their successful testing.
Later, the Minister visited the IIT Chennai campus in Guindy, where he inspected the exhibition organized by the IIT's Centre for Innovation, titled "Open House 2025." He also interacted with students and young innovators, stating that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India would become a leading country in all sectors.
The Minister acknowledged that the youth are excelling in fields such as data science, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors. He noted that India has the highest number of skilled youth globally, who will play a pivotal role in making the nation a developed country.
He also announced that there are currently five semiconductor facilities operational in India, and the first domestically produced semiconductor will be rolled out by the end of this year.
The Minister presented prizes and shields to the winners of the innovation competition held during the exhibition and encouraged them to continue creating new inventions. Dr. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Chennai, was also present at the event.