New Delhi: Deepinder Goyal, the founder of Zomato and Blinkit, has revealed a bold new plan: his aviation startup, LAT, is setting up a propulsion research centre in Bengaluru focused on building gas turbine engines from scratch. The idea is not just about tinkering with existing technologies, but going all the way and developing flight-ready, efficient, and lightweight engines right here in India.
This announcement came directly from Goyal through a post on LinkedIn, where he laid out LAT’s ambition to finally cross the finish line that India has been chasing for decades. “India has tried building gas turbine engines before. And we’ve come close,” he wrote. “At LAT, we want to get past the finish line.”
A team of engineers, led by engineers
The propulsion project at LAT won’t be buried in meetings or delayed by business-side bureaucracy. According to Goyal, the entire setup is designed to be fast, hands-on, and deeply technical. Engineers will lead the team, with a focus on solving real-world problems and building actual hardware. There will be no waiting for approvals from management or wasting time preparing presentations.
Instead, the plan involves a dedicated lab in Bengaluru with special focus areas like combustion, turbomachinery, thermal systems, and materials. This centre will allow engineers to think freely, break things, build them again, and repeat the process until they get it right.
Goyal described the approach as different from past efforts, saying LAT wants to create an environment where engineers can push the limits of design and physics every day. From running bench tests to working with suppliers and designing parts, the focus will be on speed and outcomes.
Why it matters
If this works, it could be a huge leap for India’s aviation and defence tech. A fully made-in-India gas turbine engine could power small aircraft, UAVs, and play a role in rural air connectivity. LAT wants this propulsion stack to be the backbone of a larger vision: one where flying becomes as easy as taking a bus.
The vision statement from LAT outlines a future with high-frequency, low-cost, 24-seater aircraft that can land and take off from compact locations without needing full-fledged airports. It’s aimed at cutting down long travel times and connecting towns and remote areas that have been left out of traditional aviation.
Open call to turbine builders
Goyal’s post ended with an open invite to engineers who have experience with turbines, rotors, control systems, or anything remotely close. If you’ve built hardware, and want to be part of something that might someday rewrite history, LAT wants you to write to them.
The idea of building an indigenous engine stack has long floated in India’s aerospace circles but has struggled with execution. With LAT now getting involved and bringing a startup-style mindset, the hope is to finally get things off the ground, literally.