'First move toward indigenous defence': Deepinder Goyal's LAT Aerospace acquires Gurugram-based robotics startup

Deepinder Goyal, co-founder of Zomato, on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Sharang Shakti, an early-stage defense robotics startup based in Gurugram. This acquisition marks LAT Aerospace's first step into the defense sector.

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"This is our first move toward building indigenous defence capabilities alongside our long-term mission of developing next-generation civil aviation platforms from India," Goyal wrote on X.

Goyal said that while civil aviation and defense have traditionally been viewed as separate sectors, they share a common core technology stack. The technology behind autonomy, perception, sensing, navigation, guidance, and control systems is at the heart of both industries. 

By integrating Sharang Shakti into LAT Aerospace, Goyal said he aims to build these capabilities from scratch, with plans to deploy them across both defense and civil aviation platforms over time.

LAT Aerospace was founded in June 2025 by Goyal and co-founder Surobhi Das.

According to LAT's website, the company aims to establish the world's densest regional aviation network, built in India, for India, and scalable globally. The company is currently developing its first demonstrators, with flight testing underway, and plans to scale towards industrial partnerships and production to bring the first generation of LAT aircraft into service.

Their long-term vision, according to the website, is to revolutionise regional air travel by making it more affordable, accessible, and efficient.