BENCHMARK SETTER

In a first-of-its-kind landmark move in India, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World and Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop One, along with Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One, will be constructing what could be the world’s first Hyperloop system, between Pune and Mumbai. The project could reduce the three-and-a-half-hour trip between the two cities to just about 30 minutes. Sulayem and Walder have taken remarkable steps since 2017, when the company had signed a contract with the Maharashtra Government to study the impact of bringing hyperloop technology to the region, to now being named the Original Project Proponent (OPP). They have together put the country in the lead, in the race to construct the first ever high-speed transit technology and are keen on seeing it through. The company is now looking forward to participating in the public procurement process, which will convert the region to a fast paced economic space after the completion of the project.