Deepinder Goyal, best known for reshaping India’s food delivery landscape through Zomato, is now turning his attention skyward — literally.
The tech entrepreneur has quietly co-founded LAT Aerospace, a regional aviation startup aiming to make air travel accessible to India’s Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The initiative is co-led by Surobhi Das, also a former Zomato executive, and backed by an early reported funding round of $50 million, with $20 million personally invested by Goyal.
The Vision: “Buses in the Sky”
LAT Aerospace isn’t looking to compete with the big carriers. Instead, the startup is focusing on short-distance, high-frequency air travel — a segment that has historically been underserved across India’s smaller cities and towns.
According to Das, the company will deploy STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, capable of operating from ultra-compact airstrips — or “air-stops” — designed to be as accessible as a parking lot.
“India has more than 450 airstrips, but only around 150 are commercially operational,” Das said in a recent statement. “That’s a massive gap in connectivity, and LAT wants to bridge it.”
Why Now?
India’s growing economic and infrastructural backbone has unlocked new possibilities for regional mobility. Yet travel by road or rail still dominates in non-metro areas, often adding up to hours — or even days — in transit time.
With UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) — the government’s regional connectivity scheme — already laying the policy foundation, LAT Aerospace may be entering at the right time to tap both market demand and regulatory support.
At 365247 Media, we view LAT Aerospace as an interesting “infrastructure-light” aviation bet. Instead of building full airports, LAT is banking on minimalist operations, focusing on ease of access, affordability, and proximity to population centers.
The business model echoes low-cost, high-frequency solutions — similar to what Indigo did to metros, but tuned for India’s vast intra-regional market.
From a strategic lens:
- Category Creation: Goyal may be attempting to define a new aviation sub-sector altogether — micro-regional air mobility.
- Asset-light Expansion: The STOL model reduces dependency on expensive traditional infrastructure.
- Local First-Mover Advantage: If executed well, LAT could become the “first brand to mind” for short-haul regional travel — in the same way Zomato became synonymous with food delivery.
Building the Dream Team
The company is currently hiring for key roles across aerospace engineering, systems design, and aviation operations— a clear signal that LAT is moving from concept to execution.
With Richard Mahn reportedly taking on the CEO role and Das serving as co-founder, LAT appears to be building a cross-functional leadership core blending tech, aviation, and operational execution.
