In a bold new chapter beyond food delivery, Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal is setting his sights on the aviation industry. In what could redefine regional air travel in India, Goyal is now backing a new aviation startup – LAT Aerospace – that promises to make air travel more accessible and affordable for underserved regions across the country.
In a post on LinkedIn, Surobhi Das, Co-founder, LAT Aerospace, revealed that the duo have been working on the aviation startup. “Ever wished your next bus ride could just… take off? We did too. While building Zomato and flying across India, Deepinder and I kept circling back to the same question: Why is regional air travel still so broken – expensive, infrequent, and mostly out of reach unless you live in a metro?”
Surobhi Das was earlier associated with Zomato. According to a CNBC TV18 report, Deepinder Goyal is the Non Executive Founder of LAT Aerospace.
According to sources that talked to CNBC TV18, the company has raised $50 million, of which $20 million is from Goyal.
LAT Aerospace is built around a vision to make flying as accessible and convenient as hopping onto a bus. “India has 450+ airstrips — but only ~150 see commercial flights. That means nearly two-thirds of our aviation potential is being wasted. Meanwhile, millions in Tier 2 and 3 cities spend hours — sometimes days — travelling by road or rail. We believe access shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be an entitlement — solved by intentional design,” Surobhi Das’ post said.
LAT Aerospace, Das added, is planning to build an entirely new ecosystem. Their aircraft are expected to operate from compact ‘air-stops’ situated closer to residential and commercial centres. “Think buses in the sky — affordable, high-frequency, and designed to connect the places the airline industry overlooked. Our aircraft will take off and land in compact “air-stops” — no bigger than a parking lot — built closer to where people actually live. No chaos. No security lines. Just walk in and fly,” she said.
The venture is now looking to expand its team, with the post calling on aerospace engineers, systems designers, aviation enthusiasts, to join the startup.
As LAT Aerospace prepares for takeoff, all eyes will be on how Goyal’s latest bet could reshape the future of aviation in India.