Hyperloop One®

The proposed Pune–Mumbai hyperloop corridor entered public discourse as a frontier infrastructure idea, framed as a 25-minute connection linking Pune, Navi Mumbai International Airport, and Mumbai. While technologically ambitious, the real challenge was not speed or spectacle. It was legitimacy. For the project to progress, it needed to be understood as a credible Indian future rather than an imported vision.

Hyperloop as a concept is often positioned through Silicon Valley narratives. In India, that framing creates friction. Public infrastructure is evaluated through employment impact, logistics efficiency, congestion relief, and long-term economic competitiveness. The opportunity was to translate a moonshot into a language that could withstand policy scrutiny across government, media, and institutional stakeholders.

Our work focused on reframing the project through an India-first lens. The narrative shifted away from futurism alone and toward outcomes aligned with Indian policy priorities. Job creation, regional connectivity, freight movement, congestion reduction, and national competitiveness became the anchors, supported by a structured communication system designed to scale across stakeholder depth without fragmenting intent.

The result was a localisation framework that allowed a frontier idea to enter formal public process, culminating in a publicly announced framework agreement with the State of Maharashtra for feasibility and demonstration planning. For Lazy Eight, the engagement reinforced a principle that extends beyond infrastructure: when ideas are radical, clarity is not simplification. It is what makes progress possible.