If the proposed partnership of Richard Branson owned Virgin Hyperloop One  with the Government of Karnataka becomes a reality , Bengalureans could be shuttling from one end of the city to another in matter of minutes.

The MoU between the Karnataka Government and the Virgin Hyperloop One became the star attraction of the Bengaluru Tech Summit. The two decided to conduct its preliminary study to understand hyperloop’s feasibility and economic impact in the region. The US-based company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka Urban Development Department (KUDD) aimed at identifying potential routes to improve mobility in the Benguluru metropolitan area and connect high growth cities such as Tumakuru, Hubli-Dharwad and Hosur within the state. This MoU sees promise in hyperloop following the recent announcements on the company’s partnership with the Government of Maharashtra, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, and further expansion to other regions that are planned in India.

Virgin Hyperloop One’s technology strongly aligns with India’s planned industrial and economic corridors and will show potential promise in terms of transit-oriented development to accelerate the country’s economic growth. The company will be working with partners in the region and KUDD will help navigate the regulatory requirements and support the report with data. The preliminary study is intended to analyse the applicability and benefits of hyperloop technology, identifying high priority routes within the State based on demand analysis and socio-economic benefits, and inform the Government of Karnataka in any future decision to progress to the full project stage.

“Bengaluru has been the IT hub of the country and all major giants have been functioning out of the region. The introduction of a technology like hyperloop will further add to the pace at which the state wants to grow,” feels Priyank Kharge, ITBT & Tourism Minister, Government of Karnataka.

While there was skepticism earlier on the success of Virgin Hyperloop One , but all that has been laid to rest after it built and successfully tested a full-scale hyperloop system at its test track in the Nevada desert earlier this year . “We recognize the vital role of technology in larger initiatives like that of Digital India, and we strongly believe that Virgin Hyperloop One can be a strong addition to this initiative,” said Nick Earle, SVP Global Field Operations, Virgin Hyperloop One.

In a fast evolving scenario innovations like hyperloop will improve connectivity and accessibility to enable transportation within major cities in India in under two hours. If this happens then this network could create the largest connected urban area in the world by linking the three metropolitan areas of the States of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh to improve global competitiveness.  Virgin LoopOne is confident that the project could see the light of day in Karnataka which is India’s hub for technology and innovation.

Already opportunities and potential where hyperloop transportation could be used for larger public good .  The first and foremost is the proposal to link congested Bengaluru’s city center with  IT hubs and industrial parks on the city’s periphery, Bengaluru’s IT crowd  and citizens which spends hours on the roads in slow moving traffic an opportunit to commute 10X farther in the same amount of time

For those worried about missing flights, the project can offer a solution to improving air travel accessibility by connecting Bengaluru’s airport to the city center in minutes