Which Indian balloonist set the hot-air balloon altitude record in 2005?

Vijaypat Singhania set the hot-air balloon altitude record in 2005.

On 26 November 2005, Indian industrialist and aviator Vijaypat Singhania reached 21,027 metres in a specially designed hot-air balloon. The flight began near Mumbai and ended in Panchale, Maharashtra. It set a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale record for the highest hot-air balloon flight.

The achievement required much more than an ordinary sightseeing balloon. The balloon used a pressurized capsule, allowing Singhania to survive at an altitude where the surrounding air is extremely thin and temperatures are very low. He wore a pressure suit and used oxygen equipment during the ascent.

This record is distinct from altitude records for gas balloons, which use helium or hydrogen and can remain aloft differently. It is also separate from the highest altitude reached by aircraft or spacecraft. Singhania had already been a pilot and adventurer, making the flight a major milestone in Indian aviation history.