India launches ₹15,000 cr stratospheric airship project, invites private players

India has launched a programme to develop indigenous stratospheric airships capable of carrying out persistent surveillance and intelligence gathering missions over 20 km above ground. These airships will be packed with cameras, radars, and electronic sensors to track activity from afar. Many private sector companies are expected to compete for the project. The project has ₹15,000 crore budget.