Coated fabric roll on the lamination line

Characterised here.
Never assumed
elsewhere.

Deep technical expertise of the founding team, strengthened by IIT Delhi's research ecosystem, enabling rigorous material development, testing and validation against industry standards and application-specific engineering requirements.

What is our technology platform for?

Our proprietary material design and manufacturing technologies enable application-specific solutions across high-altitude inflatable platforms, engineered inflatable structures, and flexible and collapsible containers.

They also serve flexible thermal insulation and signature-management applications that demand application-specific engineered materials operating under extreme conditions.

Aerial view looking straight down from a tethered GB Texcoat aerostat during a field deployment
ONBOARD VIEW

Tethered aerostat, live field deployment

IN THE NEWSIIT DELHI · JUL 2026

IIT Delhi demonstrates indigenous AI-enabled aerostat surveillance technology

A DRDO-funded field demonstration of a tethered aerostat surveillance platform, developed through IIT Delhi's Textile and Fibre Engineering department. GB Texcoat, a FITT-IIT Delhi incubated deep-tech startup, industrialised the technology: developing and fabricating the complete aerostat system on our proprietary coated textile material.

Read the press release
Lightweight

Engineered multilayer composites deliver high performance at low areal density, maximising performance and deployment efficiency.

UV resistance

Functional protective layers provide durable resistance to UV exposure and harsh outdoor environments, extending service life.

Barrier performance

Advanced polymer nanocomposite layers provide excellent gas, vapour and liquid barrier properties for mission-critical applications.

High strength-to-weight ratio

High-performance reinforcement fabrics combined with optimised multilayer design deliver exceptional mechanical strength with minimum weight.

Customisable properties

Our multilayer and multifunctional core material platform can be engineered to meet application-specific requirements.

Low-temperature flexibility

Specialised polymer chemistry maintains flexibility and functional performance under sub-zero temperature conditions.

What innovations have we achieved?

KEY INNOVATIONS
01

Multifunctionality

A single coated textile platform delivering simultaneous gas barrier, UV resistance, waterproofing, and structural strength without compromise.

02

Layer-by-Layer Architecture

Precision multilayer construction with controlled GSM, optimised adhesion primers, and barrier laminates for each application requirement.

03

Gas Barrier Breakthrough

Helium retention rates exceeding standard TPU constructions, enabling longer LTA flight times and reduced operational costs.

04

Lightweight Engineering

32% areal weight reduction on aerostat envelope vs. legacy PVC-coated specifications at equivalent mechanical performance.

05

Film Lamination Technology

Proprietary film lamination process delivering superior bond strength and delamination resistance under cyclic flex and pressure.

06

Advanced Bonding Systems

RF, hot-air and adhesive seam systems achieving greater than 90% base-fabric strength retention at the joint.

APR 2024

TRL 7 achieved

Apex AeroTex material technology demonstrated and validated in relevant environments. Prototype meets all target specifications.

OCT 2024

Long-term partnership

GB Texcoat has collaborated as a long-term strategic and material-development partner with startups and other industries.

APR 2025

DRDO's material supplier

Co-developed and delivered 12,000 sqm of Apex AeroTex material to DRDO for an advanced LTA application project.

OCT 2025

LTA inflatable platform

Developed the skill and capability to design and develop engineered inflatable structures for LTA applications.

What's in our pipeline?

Next-generation LTA envelope material
IN PROGRESS

Next-generation LTA envelope material

Advanced lightweight, high-strength, helium-retentive materials engineered for durable, efficient and high-performance lighter-than-air platforms.

Advanced oil storage solutions
R&D

Advanced oil storage solutions

Flexible, foldable and durable multilayer materials enabling lightweight, deployable and reliable fuel and oil storage solutions.

High-insulation multilayer coated textile
R&D

High-insulation multilayer coated textile

Aerogel-enabled multilayer textiles delivering superior thermal insulation for cold-region storage, logistics, shelters and inflatable applications.

Multispectral signature management textile

Multispectral signature management textile

Advanced coated textiles engineered for radar attenuation, infrared signature management and multispectral protection of critical defence and maritime assets.

Apex AeroTex fabrication lab.

Our in-house LTA fabrication lab takes coated fabric from the roll to a finished structure: cutting, seaming, RF welding, pressure testing and packing, all under one roof, with the same engineering team that developed the material.

Ground crew preparing the tethered aerostat for launch, GB Texcoat and partner logos visible on the envelopeDRDO, IIT Delhi and GB Texcoat team members at the aerostat demonstrationAerostat aloft on tether during a flight testAerial view of the aerostat launch site and ground teamClose view of the aerostat envelope in flight, showing partner brandingCamera crew filming the payload mount underneath the aerostatEngineer inspecting the payload mount underneath the aerostat
FIELD LAUNCH, GROUND CREW
Material sealing
MATERIAL SEALING
Aerostat balloon structure
AEROSTAT BALLOON STRUCTURE
Fuel bladder fabrication
FUEL BLADDER FABRICATION
01

RF Welding

Radio-frequency seam welding for gas-tight joints on LTA envelopes and inflatable structures.

02

Hot-Air Bonding

Precision hot-air bonding for thermoplastic coated fabrics and field-repair compatible seam construction.

03

Thermal Welding

Alternate welding technique for thermoplastic materials where RF welding does not work.

04

Pressure Testing

In-house pressure test rigs validate envelope integrity to burst and cyclic fatigue specification before delivery.

Four streams. Always running.

RS-01 Active

Coating chemistry

Polymer formulation across PVC, TPU, PVDF and fluoropolymer systems. Focus on adhesion, weather resistance and joinability.

TPUPVDFFluoropolymer
RS-02 Active

Weave engineering

High-tenacity polyester and aramid weave geometries. Ripstop optimisation for tear-propagation resistance under load.

PolyesterAramidRipstop
RS-03 Active

Seam & joinability

RF, hot-air and adhesive seam systems. Targeting >90% base-fabric strength retention at the joint.

RF weldHot-airAdhesive
RS-04 Active

Lifetime modelling

Accelerated ageing protocols correlated to deployed field performance. Producing service-life data for tender response.

ISO 4892ASTM G154Field corr.

Twelve test protocols, in-house.

We test materials before we sell them. Mass, tensile, breaking and tear strength, helium permeability, peel adhesion, burst pressure and flex fatigue rigs all live in the lab, and the data sheet is built from each batch's own readings.

MassIS 7016 Part 1, ASTM D3776
Tensile strengthASTM D751 / EN ISO 1421
Breaking strengthASTM D5035, IS 7016 Part II
Tear strengthMIL-C-21189, ISO 13937-2
Helium permeabilityASTM D1434
Peel adhesion strengthASTM D1876, ISO 2411
Joint strengthASTM D6182
Burst pressure strengthASTM D3786
Flex fatigue testASTM D-430
Low temperature flexASTM D2097
Hydrostatic pressureISO 811
UV ageingISO 4892-2

From spec to production batch.

/01
Material specifications

Discussion with the project or R&D team to identify need and opportunity

/02
Co-development

Material design solution developed with the engineering team

/03
Prototype

Build and validate prototypes

/04
Test and qualify

Rigorous testing and qualification

/05
Commercialisation

After qualification, supply and deploy

/06
Scale and expand

Strategic partnership for repeat business and new applications

Building together with domain experts.

Our work is built on the IIT Delhi ecosystem: its research groups, its textile engineering department and its technology transfer foundation.

IIT Delhi
RESEARCH ECOSYSTEMIIT DelhiCollaboration with the IIT Delhi research ecosystem across polymer, materials and aerospace groups.
Textile Department
MATERIAL RESEARCH & TESTINGTextile DepartmentCo-located with the textile and fibre engineering department at the Academic West Block for development and characterisation.
FITT, IIT Delhi
INCUBATION & TECH TRANSFERFITT, IIT DelhiWorking with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer on industry partnership and commercialisation.

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