Deepinder Goyal’s LAT Aerospace Acquires Sharang Shakti for Defence Tech Push

The acquisition of Sharang Shakti by LAT Aerospace represents a pivotal moment for Deepinder Goyal, who is best known for scaling the food-tech giant Zomato. This transition from consumer services to defence robotics underscores a strategic shift in how India’s most successful entrepreneurs are deploying capital. By moving into the defence sector, Goyal is positioning LAT Aerospace at the intersection of national security and advanced engineering, a space that has traditionally been dominated by state-owned enterprises and large industrial conglomerates. This move is not merely a diversification of a personal investment portfolio but a signal that the next frontier for Indian innovation lies in deep tech and strategic hardware.

Sharang Shakti, an early-stage startup specializing in defence robotics, provides LAT Aerospace with a foundational platform in autonomous systems. The Indian defence tech landscape is currently undergoing a radical transformation, fueled by the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiative, which prioritizes domestic manufacturing and innovation. For a startup like Sharang Shakti, being absorbed into a venture backed by Goyal’s resources and network could accelerate its development cycles and help navigate the complex procurement processes inherent in the defence industry. The integration of robotics into modern warfare is no longer a futuristic concept but a present-day necessity, and this acquisition places LAT Aerospace at the forefront of this shift.

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The acquisition of Sharang Shakti by LAT Aerospace represents a pivotal moment for Deepinder Goyal, who is best known for scaling the food-tech giant Zomato.

This acquisition follows a broader pattern of ‘Founder 2.0’ ventures in India. As the first generation of consumer internet unicorns matures, their founders are increasingly looking toward ‘hard tech’ sectors such as aerospace, clean energy, and defence. These sectors offer higher barriers to entry and longer-term competitive moats compared to the hyper-competitive consumer market. The move also reflects a global trend where tech billionaires, such as Elon Musk with SpaceX or Peter Thiel with Anduril, leverage their software expertise to disrupt traditional hardware-heavy industries. Goyal’s entry into defence tech suggests a belief that the agility of a startup-led approach can solve long-standing challenges in military hardware and autonomous systems.