Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Zomato, has stepped into India’s aviation sector with a new company, LAT Aerospace Private Limited. While speculation online has described it as a new airline, official filings and statements make clear that LAT is an aerospace startup, not a carrier. Its focus is on designing small, short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft and propulsion systems aimed at improving regional air mobility.

LAT Aerospace and its mission

LAT Aerospace was incorporated on January 21, 2025, in New Delhi, co-founded by Goyal and former Zomato chief operating officer Surobhi Das. The company aims to build 12-24 seat commuter aircraft capable of operating from short runways in smaller towns.

Such planes could transform connectivity between India’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where long travel times often restrict growth. In addition, LAT is developing lightweight gas turbine propulsion systems that will help to address cost and efficiencies in regional aviation.

Recruiting has begun, as LAT has called for engineers, designers and aerospace professionals, to join teams in Bengaluru which is also India’s hub for aviation and defense technology.

Clearing the air on speculation

Soon after incorporation, social media posts suggested LAT had already purchased aircraft and was preparing to launch flights. Some even claimed the company had bought a private jet. Goyal has publicly denied these reports, clarifying that LAT has not bought any planes and is still in the research and development stage.

Equally important, the company does not hold an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Without an AOC, no company can operate scheduled commercial flights. This confirms LAT is not an airline today but an aerospace venture working on prototypes.

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Why smaller aircraft matter

India is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, but access to air travel is still concentrated in major metros. To address this equity challenge, since 2016 the government has been driving its UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, which subsidises regional routes and upgrades smaller airports to enable affordable flying.

To date, over 600 UDAN routes have been awarded, some of which connect remote towns and smaller cities to regional hubs. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also announced intentions to double the number of operational airports, heliports, and water aerodromes in the next two decades.

The aircraft that can fly from short and modestly equipped runways as LAT envisions could be key to this policy. They could operate from small strips of land, rather than requiring major airports and major facility resources, to significantly increase access to aviation in hundreds of towns.

Potential industry impact

If LAT succeeds, the implications could be significant.

• Enhanced connectivity: Smaller towns could gain direct links to larger hubs, reducing reliance on long-distance road and rail travel.
• Domestic innovation: By developing indigenous aircraft and propulsion technologies, India could reduce its dependence on imported designs.
• Job creation: Beyond pilots, the project could generate employment for engineers, designers, and technicians, adding to the talent pool in India’s aerospace sector.

Still, experts warn that aircraft development is a long and capital-intensive process. Certification involves years of testing and compliance checks, making commercial service a distant goal. For now, LAT remains in the design and hiring stage.

Key Facts at a Glance

• LAT Aerospace incorporated January 21, 2025 in New Delhi.
• Co-founders: Deepinder Goyal and Surobhi Das.
• Focus: 12-24 seat STOL aircraft and propulsion systems.
• Hiring underway in Bengaluru.
• No AOC, no passenger flights, no private jet purchase.
• Aligns with India’s UDAN regional connectivity push.

Looking ahead

While LAT Aerospace has not released a timeline for its first prototypes, its formation reflects a growing recognition that regional aviation could be the next frontier in India’s mobility landscape. With government policy backing regional routes and entrepreneurs exploring solutions tailored for small towns, the market for short-haul aircraft looks promising.

For Goyal, the venture marks a striking departure from food delivery. Zomato redefined how Indians order meals, and now LAT Aerospace hints at a future where small planes connect towns as seamlessly as buses and trains.

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