LAT Aerospace, cofounded by Deepinder Goyal and former Zomato COO Surobhi Das, has acquired Gurugram-based defence robotics startup Sharang Shakti, and this move marks the company’s first strategic step into the defence sector. Through this acquisition, LAT Aerospace has signalled its intent to build strong indigenous capabilities while advancing its long-term ambition to develop civil aviation platforms from India.
Sharing the announcement on X, Deepinder Goyal stated that the acquisition represents LAT Aerospace’s initial move toward creating in-house defence technologies. He explained that civil aviation and defence often appear as distinct industries; however, both rely on a common technology foundation spanning autonomy, perception, sensing, navigation, guidance, and control systems. By integrating Sharang Shakti into LAT Aerospace, the company now plans to develop these core capabilities from first principles and deploy them across both defence and civil aviation programmes over time.
In a separate post, Surobhi Das echoed this vision and noted that the acquisition marks the beginning of LAT Aerospace’s journey toward building deep indigenous defence capabilities. She emphasised that these efforts will remain closely aligned with the same advanced technologies that are shaping next-generation civil aviation platforms.
Founded in 2023 by four IIT Delhi graduates, Sharang Shakti focuses on defence robotics and autonomous systems. The startup raised nearly $600,000 in seed funding in 2024 and secured backing from investors such as AUM Ventures and Venture Highway, which later merged with General Catalyst. Consequently, the acquisition brings specialised engineering talent and early-stage defence innovation into LAT Aerospace’s expanding ecosystem.
Surobhi Das, who exited Zomato in November 2023, cofounded LAT Aerospace with Goyal in early 2025. Since then, Goyal has invested $20 million into the venture, thereby underlining his long-term commitment to building scalable aerospace platforms from India.
LAT Aerospace currently plans to design and manufacture eight-seater, low-cost, short takeoff and landing aircraft aimed at improving regional air connectivity. At the same time, the company continues to explore additional fundraising opportunities and remains in discussions to raise further capital to support its ambitious product roadmap.
As the company builds indigenous capabilities across autonomy and aerospace systems, this strategic move positions it strongly at the intersection of defence modernisation and regional aviation growth in India.
