American technology company Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) has taken preliminary steps toward building India's first Hyperloop train—a magnet-based transportation system first pitched by South African entrepreneur, Elon Musk—by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board, a governance group. The proposed system would be completed in two phases: first, with a six-month-long feasibility study that would begin in October and second, the project's construction (at a yet-to-be-determined date).
The Hyperloop could significantly cut down travel time in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which has a population of over 50 million people. Construction would be located between the two city centers of Vijaywada to Amaravati, potentially cutting down an hour-long commute to a mere six minutes.
In addition to the travel benefits, the partnership would allow for the provision of more than 25,000 jobs, help solidify the state as a technologically innovative player in the country, and improve the quality of life for the people in the region. "HTT's transportation platform will enrich the IT infrastructure and ecosystem of Andhra Pradesh to a large extent," said Nara Lokesh, a cabinet minister for Information Technology in Panchayati Raj and Rural Development for the State of Andhra Pradesh, in a press release. "The Hyperloop will give rise to development of various state-of-the-art technology parks and software clusters in Amaravati, helping to fortify the city's image as a world class leader in science and technology."
Los Angeles, Calif.–based HTT was founded by Dirk Ahlborn and Bibop Gresta in 2013.The company has already signed agreements to build their transportation systems in other countries including France, Slovakia, South Korea, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Czech Republic.
