Tata Steel to develop Hyperloop technology

29 Dec 2022 CW Team

Tata Steel and TuTr Hyperloop signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) at IIT Madras to collaborate on the development and deployment of Hyperloop technology at scale. The primary research areas will be key design challenges and material selection. Hyperloop is a future option for high-speed, low-cost, and environmentally friendly transportation for both passengers and cargo. Tubes, pods, propulsion systems, and track are key components of the hyperloop system. Autonomous, levitated pods travel through an evacuated tube network. It promises to be 10 times more energy efficient than road transportation and aviation, takes up 2-3 times less space than rail and road, and allows for shorter travel times than aviation.

Dr Debashish Bhattacharjee, Vice President, Technology & New Materials Business, Tata Steel, stated: “We encourage and foster homegrown technologies and are committed to drive them towards commercial success. Globally, Hyperloop holds huge potential for high-speed sustainable transportation of tomorrow. We believe that this disruptive mobility technology can achieve its stated objective through concerted efforts of TuTr Hyperloop and Tata Steel, leveraging their core capabilities. As a materials company committed to sustainable business, 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 breakthrough project. We are currently developing and testing various options to make Hyperloop technology solution a global benchmark in terms of cost and efficiency. To meet this objective, we need to leverage the capabilities of global leaders like Tata Steel. Partnership with Tata Steel will enable us to solve materials and design related challenges and drive Hyperloop to become a reality.”

Tata Steel's core expertise is in steel and composite material design and development. It has identified Hyperloop as an opportune breakthrough technology in the field of future mobility as part of its strategic intent to develop future-ready sustainable business. TuTr, an India-based deeptech startup incubated at IIT Madras, is a frontrunner in this space, promising a low-cost hyperloop solution as its key value proposition. TuTr excels at pod and propulsion system design. Tata Steel and TuTr intend to work together to design, develop, and commercialise the technology. Phase I work will take place on IIT Madras' 50m test track. The subsequent work to complete a 10-kilometre track will be completed in Phases II and III. Phases II and III will involve the completion of the subsequent work to create a 10-km track with the assistance of a group of additional industry partners from the automotive, construction, and engineering sectors.