ArcelorMittal with IIT Madras to Develop Asia's First Hyperloop Facility

The expected operationalization of the Hyperloop test track by the end of Q1 2024 is promising transformative advancements in the realm of high-speed, sustainable transportation.

ArcelorMittal, in collaboration with ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, has initiated an alliance with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to establish Asia's inaugural Hyperloop testing center. This groundbreaking facility is set to be erected at IIT Madras' expansive Discovery Campus in Chennai, India.

The partnership aims to harness the combined resources of ArcelorMittal and AM/NS India, channeling their material and engineering expertise towards constructing India's premier Hyperloop test track. IIT Madras' Hyperloop Technology teams, including Avishkar Hyperloop (a student team) and TuTr Hyperloop (a start-up incubated at the institute), are diligently crafting cost-effective Hyperloop technologies tailored for both passenger and cargo transportation on a large scale.

Integral to this collaboration is the provision of foundational steel materials, engineering, design, and project management assistance by ArcelorMittal and AM/NS India. The envisioned Hyperloop test track, situated at IIT Madras' Discovery Campus, will span 400 meters and operate within a vacuum tube, facilitating trials of autonomous, levitating pods at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour.

Highlighting the significance of this partnership, Pinakin Chaubal, Chief Technology Officer at ArcelorMittal, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, citing IIT Madras' leadership in deep-tech development in India and TuTr Hyperloop's potential to spearhead innovation in the burgeoning Hyperloop sector.

Aravind S. Bharadwaj, Mentor of the Hyperloop Technology Development Team at IIT Madras and Co-Founder of TuTr Hyperloop, echoed Chaubal's sentiment, emphasizing the transformative impact of this collaboration among the government, academia, and industry. Bharadwaj anticipates the creation of an efficient, sustainable, and affordable mass mobility technology, positioning India as a global leader in the field.

Post the proof-of-concept phase, the partnership plans to move toward developing an operational demonstration route to validate the commercial viability of Hyperloop technology in real-world scenarios.

This latest collaboration between ArcelorMittal and IIT Madras builds upon their existing joint efforts in supporting startups focused on industrial decarbonization technologies in India. ArcelorMittal's XCarb™ Innovation Fund, which launched an accelerator program in July 2023, aims to back and nurture groundbreaking ideas on decarbonization emerging from India, with a focus on technologies that can drive the steel industry toward carbon-neutral steelmaking.

The expected operationalization of the Hyperloop test track by the end of Q1 2024 marks a significant milestone in India's pursuit of pioneering Hyperloop technology, promising transformative advancements in the realm of high-speed, sustainable transportation.