India, Sept. 3 -- In May 2026, a small crowd gathered at a stadium in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada to watch a balloon lift off towards the sky. Little did the spectators know that this was a historic first for India. The floating device was an indigenous super-pressure balloon designed to remain afloat in the stratosphere for months rather than hours.

The balloon belonged to Red Balloon Aerospace, a Vijayawada-based venture founded by former Skyroot Aerospace executives CVS Kiran and Sireesh Pallikonda. The startup is building a suite of near-space platforms, including superpressure balloons, aerostats and solar-powered airships, capable of operating nearly 20 km above Earth.

By targeting this region, Red Balloon Aerospace is trying to c...