Bharat Forge has signed a landmark agreement with French-Canadian firm Flying Whales to co-develop 60-tonne heavy-lift airships in India, a move that could revolutionise defence logistics and strategic mobility while creating a new aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.

The pact was formalised at the Farnborough International Air Show 2026 and places India among a select group of nations with sovereign heavy-lift airship capabilities.

India’s Bharat Forge Limited, through its Aerospace Division, has entered into a strategic partnership with Flying Whales, a pioneer in heavy-lift airship technology.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by Guru Biswal, CEO of Bharat Forge Aerospace, and Sébastien Bougon, President of Flying Whales, during the Farnborough International Air Show in the United Kingdom.

The collaboration will focus on the joint development, manufacturing, and integration of Flying Whales-Bharat Forge airships in India. The companies emphasised that the initiative is intended to create sovereign capabilities in a strategically important aerospace segment, aligning with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India visions.

At the core of the partnership is the LCA60T, Flying Whales’ next-generation heavy-lift airship platform. The aircraft is designed to carry up to 60 tonnes of cargo, featuring vertical take-off and landing capability, hybrid-electric propulsion, and minimal dependence on ground infrastructure. This makes it particularly suitable for point-to-point missions in remote and difficult terrain.

For India’s armed forces, the LCA60T could support supply runs to forward operating bases, transport oversized equipment and critical stores, and potentially be adapted for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and communication relay missions.

The platform also holds promise for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, enabling rapid deployment of personnel and supplies in remote border regions and challenging environments.

The localisation program is expected to generate high-skilled jobs, build a domestic aerospace supply chain, and create export opportunities over time. Bharat Forge highlighted that the partnership combines Flying Whales’ pioneering airship technology with its own six decades of engineering expertise and defence manufacturing capabilities.

Amit Kalyani, Vice Chairman and Joint Managing Director of Bharat Forge, stated that airships will redefine how nations move, supply, and sustain their forces, and India will lead that transformation. He emphasised that the partnership creates a sovereign capability, a new industrial ecosystem, and an entirely new dimension of strategic mobility for the nation.

Flying Whales underscored that the LCA60T was conceived to operate in the world’s most remote and demanding environments, and India’s vast geography and strategic needs make it an ideal setting for the platform. Tanguy Lestienne, CEO of Flying Whales Services, noted that the alliance with Bharat Forge will lay the foundations of an airship industry in India that could serve the region for generations.

The agreement comes at a time when India is expanding domestic defence manufacturing and reducing reliance on imports in critical aerospace and military technology segments.

For Bharat Forge, the partnership broadens its presence in advanced aerospace and defence manufacturing, while positioning India as a global hub for heavy-lift airship technology.

The initiative is expected to strengthen India’s strategic mobility, enhance its defence logistics capabilities, and contribute to building a globally competitive aerospace ecosystem.

It also signals a significant step in diversifying India’s defence transport platforms beyond conventional aircraft and helicopters, offering a low-infrastructure solution for moving heavy loads across challenging terrain.

Agencies