SUMMARY
- Deepinder Goyal, founder of Zomato and Blinkit, has launched LAT Aerospace to develop fully indigenous, flight-ready gas turbine engines in India.
- The Bengaluru-based R&D center will focus on rapid, engineer-led innovation in combustion, turbomachinery, thermal systems, and materials, bypassing bureaucratic delays.
- Engines are intended to power UAVs, remote connection platforms, and STOL aircraft, aiming to boost India’s self-reliance in high-performance propulsion technology.
The founder of Zomato, Blinkit, and now LAT Aerospace, Deepinder Goyal, has unveiled his new plan to produce domestic gas turbine engines in India, an endeavor the nation has long sought but never entirely accomplished.
The goal of the propulsion research team that LAT Aerospace is putting together in Bengaluru is to design and construct lightweight, effective, flight-ready gas turbine engines from the ground up, all “Made in India.”
India has tried building gas turbine engines before. And we’ve come close. At LAT, we aim to reach the finish line. We’re giving engineers the freedom to think, build, break, and repeat.” Goyal wrote in a post on LinkedIn. He added, “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.”
This project is unique because it takes a completely new approach to research and development, Goyal said. Combustion, turbomachinery, thermal systems, and materials advanced labs will be housed in LAT’s specialized research center, establishing a fast iteration environment designed to overcome bureaucratic bottlenecks.
In order to enable increased independence in high-performance propulsion technology, the project eventually intends to power unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remote connection platforms, and Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft.
As he wrapped up his statement, he added, “If you’ve ever built turbines, rotors, control systems — or anything close — and want to be part of something that could one day rewrite history, write to us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).”
The news has garnered a lot of interest from the Indian aerospace and IT sectors. One LinkedIn user wrote, “This is a bold and much-needed leap in India’s aerospace capabilities. LAT’s approach of decentralizing decision-making and investing in core infrastructure like turbomachinery and combustion labs reflects a deep understanding of what real innovation demands. If successful, this could redefine India’s position in the global aero-propulsion value chain.”
Another said, “This is massive! Building indigenous gas turbine engines has been a long-standing challenge for India, and LAT’s approach — engineers leading the charge, rapid iteration, and true R&D freedom — feels like the breakthrough mindset we’ve been waiting for.”
