LAT Aerospace, the aviation venture supported by Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal, has bought Gurugram-based early-stage defence robotics startup Sharang Shakti. This marks the company’s first acquisition as it begins putting together its core technology base.

Announcing the move in a social media post on February 24, Goyal said the acquisition is “our first move toward building indigenous defence capabilities alongside our long-term mission of developing next-generation civil aviation platforms from India”.

The deal shows that LAT Aerospace is widening its focus. While the company was earlier known for its plans to improve regional air travel, it is now working on building strong in-house capabilities in areas such as autonomy, sensing and control systems. These technologies can be used in both defence and civilian aircraft.

Focus on core technologies

Goyal noted that defence and civil aviation are often treated as separate industries, but they rely on similar core systems. These include “autonomy, perception, sensing, navigation, guidance, and control systems”.

“By bringing Sharang Shakti into LAT, we are building these capabilities in-house, from first principles, with the intent to deploy them across both defence and civil programs over time,” he wrote.

By developing these technologies internally, LAT Aerospace appears to be following a vertically integrated model. Instead of depending on outside partners for key systems, the company plans to design and control critical technologies on its own. This approach is common among global deep-tech and aerospace startups.

Financial details of the acquisition and plans for integrating Sharang Shakti into LAT Aerospace were not shared.

Expanding beyond regional aviation

LAT Aerospace first drew attention in 2025 when it shared its plan to serve India’s underconnected regional routes. The company had proposed building small aircraft with high-frequency operations to link tier 2 and tier 3 cities more efficiently and at lower cost.

That idea positioned the venture as a new player in short-distance air travel, aiming to improve connectivity using leaner infrastructure and operating models.

With the Sharang Shakti acquisition, the company now seems to be moving toward a broader strategy. By investing in defence robotics and autonomous systems, LAT Aerospace is building technologies that could support a range of future aerial platforms, including advanced and next-generation aircraft.

Laying the foundation

The acquisition is the first clear step by LAT Aerospace as it moves from concept to execution. Details about its aircraft development plans, regulatory strategy and potential collaborations are still awaited.

For now, the focus appears to be on creating a strong technology base that can support both defence programmes and future civil aviation projects developed in India.