BIG move by Deepinder Goyal as his LAT Aerospace unveils plan to build indigenous...

Deepinder Goyal, Zomato founder, has revealed that LAT Aerospace, an aviation startup backed by him, would be building commercial gas turbine engines from scratch, something that has not been done before in India. In a post on X, Goyal said that the startup would be creating a propulsion research team in Bengaluru, whose purpose is to design and build commercially viable gas turbine engines from the ground up.

What sets this effort apart?

Goyal noted that it is a radically different approach to R&D. "We’re giving engineers the freedom to think, build, break, and repeat," he wrote. LAT’s dedicated research centre will house advanced labs for combustion, turbomachinery, thermal systems, and materials -- creating a rapid iteration environment meant to break away from bureaucratic bottlenecks.

“This team will be led by engineers. No waiting around for approvals from ‘business’ people. No chasing slides or meetings. Just hands-on problem solving, running bench tests, working with suppliers, building hardware from scratch — and pushing the limits of design and physics every day," Goyal emphasised.

India has tried building gas turbine engines before. And we’ve come close.

At LAT, we want to get past the finish line. So we’re putting together a propulsion research team in Bangalore, focused solely on building gas turbine engines from scratch. Lightweight. Efficient.… pic.twitter.com/zrXFUxeGEh

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) July 31, 2025

LAT Aerospace

Goyal launched LAT Aerospace this year with Surobhi Das, the co-founder of the aviation startup.  LAT Aerospace is eyeing the regional air travel segment. The startup has reportedly raised about USD 50 million, with USD 20 million invested by Goyal. Reports suggest that the company has also announced plans to hire aerospace engineers, systems designers, and aviation enthusiasts to help bring its vision to life.

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Earlier in July, Goyal rejected reports that claimed LAT Aerospace bought a Bombardier Global jet. Reacting to reports, Goyal said "LAT is a startup and has not bought any private jet". "We are focused on building aircraft for regional aviation and are not in the business of buying planes," he had said in a X post. He further said that LAT is about making planes for regional aviation, and is not in the business of buying planes.