French airship maker Flying Whales has partnered with India’s BLP Group to establish its third global industrial hub in India, following France and Canada. The collaboration will focus on setting up a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the company’s Large Capacity Airship 60 Tons (LCA60T) heavy-lift cargo airship in Tamil Nadu.
The LCA60T is a rigid helium airship designed to transport up to 60 tons of cargo directly to remote or hard-to-reach locations, without the need for roads, railways, ports, or even landing. Its ability to hover and perform vertical loading allows it to access areas that conventional transport cannot, making it a versatile solution for challenging logistics.
Its capabilities open up applications across multiple sectors, including renewable energy logistics, such as moving wind turbine blades and high-voltage towers, construction, defence, and humanitarian operations. In addition to its operational flexibility, the LCA60T significantly reduces the environmental impact compared with traditional heavy-lift transport methods and offers a more sustainable alternative for large-scale cargo movement, the company said.
The announcement coincides with the official summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Flying Whales said the India hub will accelerate its expansion across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, where the company has already signed more than 25 pre-commercial agreements.
The partnership is expected to generate over 300 high-skilled jobs and foster the development of a domestic aerospace supply chain, positioning India as a global hub for sustainable aviation innovation. “The LCA60T will unlock new possibilities for infrastructure, clean energy, defence, and humanitarian access across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific,” said Tejpreet S Chopra, CEO of BLP Group.
“This strategic partnership with India marks a decisive milestone in bringing together innovation, ambition, and purpose. It establishes our third industrial pillar globally,” added Sébastien Bougon, President of Flying Whales.
By establishing a production base in Tamil Nadu, the partnership aims to rapidly deploy the LCA60T technology to regions facing logistical and infrastructure constraints.
Once operational, the hub is expected to reshape cargo transport in civil and defence sectors, support renewable energy projects, facilitate infrastructure development in remote areas, and enhance humanitarian response capabilities across Asia and the Middle East.
With its pre-commercial agreements and growing global operations, Flying Whales positions the LCA60T as a transformative solution for heavy-lift transportation, combining efficiency, sustainability, and access to hard-to-reach locations.