LAT Aerospace, co-founded by Zomato’s Pankaj Chaddah and Deepinder Goyal, has accelerated work on its 24-seater Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, targeting underserved routes and regional airports under India’s UDAN scheme. Announced this week, the initiative positions LAT’s new aircraft above the NAL Saras Mk2, which has a 19-seat capacity and is still in pre-production testing. LAT Aerospace’s vision is to make air travel as accessible as bus travel by leveraging more than 450 underutilized Indian airstrips—most of which currently see no commercial flights. The company has already secured $50 million in seed funding and set up a propulsion research center in Bengaluru to develop India’s first indigenous flight-ready gas turbine engines. LAT’s aircraft will be designed for civil use and special missions, featuring modern materials and hybrid-electric systems for higher efficiency. Goyal clarified in July that LAT remains focused solely on regional aviation and is actively recruiting aerospace engineers for this ambitious project. The government’s recent emphasis on expanding regional air routes and self-reliance in aerospace has provided strong momentum for LAT’s efforts, with the startup aiming to transform regional connectivity across India.