India has launched a comprehensive initiative to develop indigenous stratospheric airships for long-endurance surveillance missions, inviting private companies to participate in building strategic defence capabilities. According to The Economic Times, the ₹15,000-crore programme is being executed under the Make-I procurement framework, where the Centre funds up to 70 per cent of development costs for selected industry partners. The project was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in February and involves prototype development and procurement of multiple airship systems. Sources indicate that several Indian companies involved in the aerospace sector have been approached for the ambitious project, with the selection of at least two developmental partners based on technical responses and financial strengths of the responders.
The Airship-based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS) programme seeks to develop unmanned air platforms capable of operating in the stratosphere at altitudes of 20-30 km. As reported by The Economic Times, these platforms are designed to provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) while costing significantly less than satellites. The airship will operate in the gap between high-altitude drones flying at around 12 km and low-Earth orbit satellites orbiting 500-2,000 km above the planet, and is expected to be steerable in flight for repositioning over areas of interest. The systems would be required to operate for months at a stretch, providing persistent intelligence, and will be equipped with a range of sensors to enable long-range surveillance, including radars and optical devices. The government is keen to develop the sensors indigenously as well, with the airship also capable of being controlled in flight and steered to areas of interest.
The government plans to shortlist at least two development partners based on their technical capabilities and financial strength, according to The Economic Times. The project is being steered by the Directorate of Operations (Remote) of the Indian Air Force (IAF), with the government offering to fund selected partners to develop a prototype airship for optical surveillance, electronic intelligence gathering and long-range communications. The ministry also plans to develop fixed-wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS) that can take off conventionally and undertake extended surveillance missions. While no private sector company in India has yet demonstrated the technology, the government funding is likely to trigger a keen race to take part in the high-tech developmental project.
DRDO demonstrated the technology in May 2025, flying a payload-bearing prototype to an altitude of about 17 km over Madhya Pradesh, as reported by The Economic Times. The platform will carry an array of sensors, including radars and electro-optical systems, for long-range surveillance, which the government plans to develop domestically. Global attempts to develop similar systems have faced steep engineering and cost hurdles, with Europe's EUROHAPS project in demonstration-prototype stage and Thales Alenia's Stratobus targeting completion by early 2030s. The AS-HAPS will also enable transmission of data from ground-based networks to satellites, bridging the gap between different surveillance platforms.
The programme addresses India's need for indigenous high-altitude surveillance capabilities, filling the gap between existing drone and satellite systems. According to The Economic Times, the airship will relay data between ground networks and satellites, providing enhanced strategic intelligence gathering. The initiative comes as global competitors including the US, Europe, and China continue developing similar high-altitude platforms, with China's programme remaining active despite its opaque nature and high-altitude balloons being spotted worldwide, including over India. While China's developments remain shrouded in secrecy, there is a very active programme for high altitude airships, with Chinese high-altitude balloons already observed all over the globe, including over India.
