Hyderabad’s podcar project has received preliminary approval for three corridors linking Metro stations with major office, residential and commercial districts, as the Telangana government seeks to improve last-mile connectivity in some of the city’s most congested areas.
The proposed 34-km Personal Rapid Transit system will use automated, driverless electric podcars carrying up to six passengers each. The vehicles will run on elevated tracks designed to begin at Metro station concourse levels and connect passengers directly to destinations with limited stops.
One of the planned links will run from Raidurg Metro Station into Knowledge City in HITEC City. The other corridors approved for further consideration are Raidurg–Kukatpally and Kondapur–Financial District. The Assembly–Lakdikapool–Secretariat–Tank Bund corridor was not approved at this stage, with officials asked to examine a possible connection to Ranigunj instead.
Officials have positioned the system as a complement to Hyderabad Metro Rail rather than a substitute for it. The proposed podcars are intended to connect Metro stations with offices, residential areas and commercial zones that are not directly served by existing stations. Unlike Metro trains, which operate along fixed routes with multiple halts, passengers would select their destinations and be carried directly through the podcar network.
The tracks are expected to be 4.5 metres wide. Construction costs have been estimated at between ₹80 crore and ₹100 crore per kilometre, putting the total project cost at around ₹3,400 crore. The number of podcars required has not yet been finalised. Ridership is projected to reach 20 lakh by 2050, although the report does not specify whether this figure refers to daily or annual usage.
The preliminary approval follows a decision by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to advance the three corridors. Lee Associates has been entrusted with conducting the feasibility study for the Hyderabad system. The state is also examining feasibility studies for podcar projects in Amritsar, including a Golden Temple corridor, and in Haridwar.
The proposed system would add another layer to Hyderabad’s expanding public transport network, but its next stage depends on the feasibility assessment and the resolution of questions around alignment, capacity, cost and integration with Metro Rail. Officials have said the study will determine the project’s detailed requirements, including the number of vehicles to be deployed.
