Virgin Hyperloop: Banking on Bengaluru's young population and growth

Virgin Hyperloop and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) have recently announced a partnership to access the feasibility of a Hyperloop corridor from the city's Kempegowda International Airport. Naushad Oomer, Director of Operations – India, Virgin Hyperloop tells Business Standard about the proposed ambitious project and its future tie-ups.

Q. Is the proposed stretch between Bengaluru Airport and city financially viable?

A. This is exactly the type of question that the feasibility study will address – along with technical and route feasibility. If the feasibility report is positive, it will open boundaries for the city and catalyse economic activity. By improving productivity from lesser travel times, creating the ability to live in a second city but work in Bengaluru, and catalysing growth for the region, hyperloop could help make Bengaluru the new gateway to India.

We are also open to more aspects of the hyperloop-airport nexus and hope that the creative process embedded within the feasibility study will throw up even more exciting options to leverage both BIAL’s airport expansion plans as well as VH’s flexible hyperloop-based solutions.

Q. What made you choose Bangalore for the pilot?

A. Bangalore is the epitome of this booming growth. A young cohort of ambitious, creative and restless minds, with world-class high-tech engineering skills – brings with it a hunger for new technologies. India is keen on re-imagining urban transport and extending its pioneering role from space technology into the urban transport arena.

In order to fuel that growth, we believe that hyperloop can provide a fast, safe, cost- effective system, with zero direct emissions, that could help alleviate traffic in one of the most congested cities in the world. Beyond the system, it could create millions of jobs that support ‘Make in India’ industries, attract investment from around the globe, and solidify the country’s future as a knowledge and research hub.

This system becomes even more powerful when replicated across different regional clusters. Imagine commuting between Delhi and Mumbai in 55 minutes, Mumbai-Chennai in 50 minutes, and Bangalore-Chennai in 20 minutes.

BIAL’s KIA is also consistently ranked as one of the best airports in India on operations efficiency, design, and growth. In addition, BIAL shares our vision in its commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Q. Earlier two companies had expressed interest in hyperloop projects in India, but their plans were later shelved. What makes you optimistic?

A. The brilliant, hard-working engineers at Virgin Hyperloop have paved the way for hyperloop with their discoveries and determination. At our test site in Las Vegas, we have performed over 400 full-system tests, winning the confidence of our investors to the tune of over $400 million dollars (USD).

Virgin Hyperloop is the only hyperloop company that has a strategic partnership with a mass transportation company, the Virgin Group, an industry leader across rail, aviation, ships, and even spacecrafts. We are also backed by DP World, a leading enabler of global trade who sees the potential of sustainable hyperloop-enabled cargo systems.

Our company is no longer looking to just prove the technology in the same way as its competitors, the focus is on making this mass transportation system a reality in years, not decades.

Overall, what makes us different is our long-term vision for India. India’s urbanisation movement, its youth, and its affinity to innovate and leapfrog are elements that will drive us towards a more interconnected India in the years ahead. This combination of an India-focus and the synergies that come with population density, logistics, and high-speed transportation, makes us deeply committed to the ‘India Story’.

Q. Are you looking for an Indian partner for technology tie up, as the company would understand the domestic milieu better?

A. Yes, we will be looking for Indian partners to join our ecosystem from various industries. Across the world, we have partnered with visionary private sector industries in U.S. India, Europe, and the Middle East and are now working on officially recognised infrastructure projects.

Our industry-leading partners include Spirit AeroSystems, KPMG, Foster + Partners, Systra, BIG, SNCF, GE, Deutsche Bahn, Black & Veatch, McKinsey, Deloitte, Jacobs, Turner & Townsend, ARUP, and Steer, among others.

Q. Are you only looking at viable cargo solutions or it may even become an urban mobility solution?

A. We would be looking at passenger and cargo. Hyperloop is unique in that it is a mixed-use system that can be used for the transport of cargo and passengers simultaneously. For passengers we can ease congestion.

Today, more than half the world’s population lives in cities, with this figure expected to rise to more than two thirds by 2050. Hyperloop can meet this demand by moving tens of thousands of passengers per hour at speeds over 1080 kmph and offering a level of service that will divert traffic from congested roads. We can create jobs in both cargo and passenger service

Hyperloop will connect major economic hubs, creating ‘sister cities’ that will not constrain people to urban areas. This allows hyperloop to expand opportunities, helping people make broader decisions about where they can work and live. We can move cargo at the speed of flight in a more sustainable way

Beyond just the travel of passengers, hyperloop could also deliver cargo at the speed of flight and closer to the cost of trucking. We see the opportunity to expand the capacity for high-priority, on-demand goods typically served by air — fresh food, medical supplies, electronics, and more.

Q. Are you in talks with any other state government in India for a similar project?

A. We are working in Maharashtra to connect central Pune to Mumbai via hyperloop in 25 minutes, as opposed to the current 3.5+ hours by road.

In a significant step forward, the Government of Maharashtra has deemed hyperloop a public infrastructure project and approved the Virgin Hyperloop One-DP World (VH-DPW) Consortium as the Original Project Proponent (OPP). This is a landmark announcement for building the Pune-Mumbai hyperloop transportation system, recognising hyperloop technology alongside other more traditional forms of mass transit.

The project would be the largest private infrastructure investment in Maharashtra, creating 1.8 million and indirect jobs and $36 billion in socio-economic benefits. The VH system can meet growing demand by supporting as many as 200 million passengers annually. The implementation of a regional VH system could reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by up to 150,000 tons (300 million pounds) annually. We see enormous potential to connect the entire subcontinent and look forward to discussions with other states as well

We also signed a MoU with the State of Punjab’s Transport Department in December 2019 and we hope to expand on our relationship with Punjab as we continue exploring opportunities in northern India independent of our work in the western and southern regions of the country.

Q. Is pandemic a boon or bane for such a technology and how?

A. When this pandemic hit, we made the decision to give our global stakeholders time so they could focus on the pressing crises at hand. To our surprise, they started calling us. They wanted to figure out how they could create an economic bounce back since they feared that certain jobs would dry up and never come back.

While hyperloop may seem sci-fi, it’s really a change that keeps pace with today. With so much uncertainty across various sectors in the economy, innovation is key to staying ahead and creating new jobs for highly transferable skills.

Crises allows us the freedom to shake off the cobwebs and think about our collective lives differently. It is time to face up to the fact that our systems need major reworking. We see that in India as well as across the globe. From this point, there can be no recovery – only evolution.