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Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal is making a huge venture into the aviation industry with a new company, LAT Aerospace. The firm, founded by Goyal and aerospace entrepreneur Surobhi Das, aims to revolutionize regional air travel in India and making it more convenient, regular and affordable for millions of those living outside the metros.
The concept, as described by Surobhi Das in her recent LinkedIn post, emerged while the duo was traveling around India, much frustrated by the poor connectivity beyond metropolitan areas. “Why is regional air travel still so broken – expensive, infrequent and mostly out of reach unless you live in a metro?” She wrote. “India has 450 airstrips, but only 150 see commercial flights. That means nearly two-thirds of our aviation potential is being wasted.” Das added.
What is the purpose of Deepinder Goyal’s LAT Aerospace?
LAT Aerospace aims to bridge this gap with small, high-frequency planes that fly out of what the company terms “air-stops”-tiny, parking lot-sized terminals closer to where people live. “Imagine buses in the air,” Surobhi Das explained, outlining the LAT vision. “No pandemonium. No security lines. Just walk in and fly.” she wrote.
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The startup is undertaking a new paradigm of aviation centered around convenience, doing away with the hours-long travel time that Tier 2 and Tier 3 city dwellers undertake today by road or rail.
However, infrastructure, regulatory clearances and consumer adoption continue to be major hurdles, but Goyal’s entry into the aviation space proves a new era in India’s mobility narrative, one that could unleash enormous untapped potential in India’s air travel industry.
Surobhi Das also made a call on those who would like to join her venture, by saying: “”Sounds interesting? We’re based in Delhi NCR and assembling a world-class team of engineers, designers, and builders to take on the toughest challenges in aircraft design, aerodynamics, materials & composites, hybrid propulsion systems, and turbo-machinery. If this excites you, we’d love to hear from you.”
