'Lightweight. Efficient. Flight-ready': Deepinder Goyal says LAT to build Made-in-India gas turbine to transform air travel

Eternal Founder Deepinder Goyal, who is trying his hand at a new domain: regional air travel, has said LAT Aerospace wants to build a gas turbine, which is lightweight, efficient and future-ready by building things differently. In his latest post on X, Goyal says India has tried building gas turbine engines before, and has come close, but LAT, which aims to build a network of high-frequency, low-cost, 24-seater, STOL (short take-off and landing), medium-haul aircraft, wants to get past the finish line.

Reacting to Deepinder's post on LinkedIn, LAT Aerospace co-founder Surobhi Das said the company wants to build engines from scratch. "Since we started LAT, this is all we've heard — "Engines are the holy grail, more complex than the aircraft itself. Now, we want to build one from scratch. Lightweight. Efficient. Flight-ready. Made in India."

Das has previously worked in various capacities with Zomato (including the position of COO). With her new venture, LAT, she aims to make air travel as smooth as the railways or bus network.

The company is currently putting together a propulsion research team in Bangalore, focused solely on building gas turbine engines from scratch.

Via his post, Goyal also said that LAT aims to do things differently by giving engineers the "freedom to think, build, break, and repeat". "Our dedicated research centre — with labs for combustion, turbomachinery, thermal systems, and materials -- will give engineers the space and freedom to iterate fast, and get to real outcomes at a speed which is unprecedented in the industry," he added.

He stressed that the LAT team will be led by engineers, meaning 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."

The Eternal CEO agrees that it's not an easy task, but added that if it works, it'll change everything from remote connectivity to self-reliance. "A full engine stack, built locally. Powering STOL aircraft. UAVs. Remote connectivity. Self-reliance."

Clarifying that LAT is not part of Eternal, Goyal sought applications from candidates with expertise in the areas of building turbines, rotors, and control systems.

Highlighting a huge gap in capacity utilisation, Das had earlier said that India has over 450 airstrips but only 150 see commercial flights. "That means nearly two-thirds of our aviation potential is being wasted. Meanwhile, millions in Tier 2 and 3 cities spend hours, sometimes days, travelling by road or rail." She believes that her new aerospace company can make regional travel affordable, high-frequency, and connect the places that are yet to be connected via air.

Notably, regional air travel in India remains highly underserved, and Goyal and Das' bet could pay off well if he's able to pull the right talent and technology. The company, meanwhile, is on a hiring spree and is actively looking for engineers and designers. The company is currently developing 12-24 seater hybrid-electric STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, designed to take off and land from ultra-compact “air-stops.”