Zomato Co-founder Deepinder Goyal is now eyeing the regional air travel segment with LAT Aerospace, according to a LinkedIn post by the aerospace startup Co-founder Surobhi Das.
Goyal’s bet on the aviation venture could redefine regional air travel in India, which is at a nascent stage, as uncertainty remains over regulatory clearance, technological capability and public adoption.
“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? 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 II and III cities spend hours – sometimes days – traveling by road or rail,” Das said in the post.
Outlining the vision behind building LAT Aerospace, Surobhi further stated, “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 live. “No chaos. No security lines. Just walk in and fly”.
Deepinder Goyal has invested $20 million in LAT Aerospace, the startup co-founded with former Zomato Chief Operating Officer (COO) Surobhi Das. This venture aims to bring about a change in regional air connectivity by building low-cost, short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft.
