FM Sitharaman holds discussion with Flying Whales chief on French firm's India plans

New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a discussion with Flying Whales President Sebastien Bougon in Paris on Thursday about the French aerospace logistics company's plans for setting up its ecosystem in India. 

Bougon informed the Finance Minister about Flying Whales' sustainable PPP (public-private partnership) projects globally and shared details about the multitude of application use cases that the company serves. He highlighted that Flying Whales contributes to the expansion of economic development in landlocked areas and reduces the environmental impact of cargo transport and conveyed that the company was looking to set up the entire ecosystem related to its manufacturing with India as a key base, according to an official statement.

Sitharaman welcomed the interest shown by Flying Whales for setting up an ecosystem in India. She informed Bougon about the opportunities in India for a company like Flying Whales and encouraged him to engage with the vibrant start-up ecosystem operating in this space, the statement said.

She also spoke about the Indian Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) at GIFT City and the framework for ship and air-vehicle leasing and Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) which can be leveraged by Flying Whales.

Flying Whales and India's BLP Group had announced the launch of the first stage of a strategic partnership on April 2. The collaboration aims to build a comprehensive manufacturing ecosystem for heavy-lift cargo airships within India, positioning the nation as a central hub for this next-generation transport technology. The announcement aligned with the summit between French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The companies had unveiled plans to assemble the LCA60t -- a 60-ton payload capacity airship -- for the Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

The LCA60T, a massive 200-metre-long, helium-filled cargo airship designed to transport up to 60 tonnes of payload. Its unique business model focuses on both manufacturing these airships and operating them as an airline service to deliver oversized cargo to remote, hard-to-reach locations without needing standard ground infrastructure like runways or heavy roads.

The primary business applications include heavy-lift logistics, which include transporting massive components for the wind energy sector (e.g., wind turbine blades), electrical transmission towers, and aerospace equipment directly to remote sites.

It is also useful for delivering bulky disaster relief, medical supplies, or military equipment where traditional roads and bridges are destroyed or non-existent.