Fabheads and Avishkar Hyperloop: A Deep Tech Partnership
Sep 26, 2026
Avishkar Hyperloop, a team of engineering students from IIT-Madras, evolved as the only Asian team to be qualified for SpaceX’s Hyperloop Pod Competition 2019 held in Los Angeles, California.
Fabheads, as their official fabrication partner and industry advisor, played a significant role in their journey to represent Asia in the competition.
Fabheads has been associated with Team Avishkar from the beginning of the prelims round for the Hyperloop Pod Competition and has also been helping them in urgent fabrication requirements till a few days before their official launch of the pod.
Fabheads fabricated the composite battery casings for the team, which helped them save weight while complying with the pressure requirements that are imposed in a vacuum tube which the pod has to run in.
Throughout this journey of Team Avishkar, Fabheads has not only been their fabrication partner and industry advisor, but has also been providing design consultation, technical advice and assistance.
A success story like Team Avishkar's is what defines the reliability and commitment of Fabheads to creating and nurturing a strong technology ecosystem for the future.
Where Team Avishkar is today
Since that 2019 competition, the team has gone considerably further than a student project.
Avishkar Hyperloop built India's first hyperloop test track at IIT Madras' Discovery Campus in Thaiyur — a vacuum tube facility of over 400 metres, and the largest student-run hyperloop test track in Asia. It was developed with the support of the Ministry of Railways and inaugurated by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with ArcelorMittal supplying 400 tonnes of steel and L&T and Hindalco contributing to the build.
The team has since signed an MoU with Indian Railways, spun out a startup called TuTr Hyperloop, been granted a patent for a magnetic track system for levitating vehicles, and hosted the Global Hyperloop Competition at IIT Madras — drawing teams from the United States, Europe and Turkey. In 2026 they demonstrated a working prototype at European Hyperloop Week.
We mention this for a specific reason. When Fabheads became Team Avishkar's fabrication partner, none of that existed. There was no Railways MoU, no ArcelorMittal, no test track and no startup — only a student team with a difficult engineering problem and a deadline. Backing serious work early, before it is obvious, is what we mean when we talk about building a technology ecosystem.
Why composite battery casings
The requirement was unusual enough to be worth explaining. A hyperloop pod runs inside a near-vacuum tube, so the battery casing had to hold up under those pressure conditions while adding as little mass as possible — every kilogram of casing is a kilogram not available for propulsion or payload. That combination of pressure tolerance and low weight is exactly what carbon fiber composite is for, and the same reasoning applies to aerospace structures, drone airframes and marine components.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Avishkar Hyperloop?
A student team from IIT Madras, formed at the institute's Centre for Innovation. In 2019 it became the only Asian team to qualify for SpaceX's Hyperloop Pod Competition, and has since built India's first hyperloop test track at IIT Madras with support from the Ministry of Railways.
What did Fabheads make for Avishkar Hyperloop?
Composite battery casings for the pod, which reduced weight while meeting the pressure requirements of running inside a near-vacuum tube. Fabheads also acted as fabrication partner and industry advisor, providing design consultation and technical assistance throughout.
Does India have a hyperloop test track?
Yes. Avishkar Hyperloop and the startup TuTr built a vacuum tube facility of over 400 metres at IIT Madras' Discovery Campus in Thaiyur, supported by the Ministry of Railways, with steel supplied by ArcelorMittal. It is the largest student-run hyperloop test track in Asia.