Deepinder Goyal's LAT Aerospace buys robotics start-up Sharang Shakti
What's the story
Deepinder Goyal's aviation venture LAT Aerospace has acquired Gurugram-based defense robotics start-up Sharang Shakti. The deal marks a strategic move toward enhancing indigenous defense capabilities and developing next-gen civil aviation platforms in India. Goyal emphasized that while civil aviation and defense are often viewed as separate sectors, they share a common technology stack across autonomy, perception, sensing, navigation, guidance, and control systems.
Strategic integration
First step toward building indigenous defense capabilities
Goyal said by integrating Sharang Shakti into LAT, they are building these capabilities from first principles with an aim to deploy them across both defense and civil programs over time. He added that this acquisition is their first step toward building indigenous defense capabilities as part of their long-term mission. The move signals a shift in LAT Aerospace's focus from regional air connectivity to developing a comprehensive technology stack for autonomy, sensing, and control systems.
Start-up profile
Sharang Shakti specializes in airspace surveillance and airborne threat mitigation
Founded in 2023 by Karan Goyal, Chirag Singla, Jitendra Singh, Gaurav Kumar and Rishabh Choudhary, Sharang Shakti specializes in airspace surveillance and airborne threat mitigation. The company is developing integrated counter-drone systems that combine early warning radar, autonomous aerial interceptors and onboard machine learning for real-time threat neutralization. Its flagship products include vajR (a hardkill aerial interceptor for counter-drone operations) and hantR (short-range airborne threat detection system).
Aviation venture
LAT Aerospace is working on a hybrid-electric short take-off aircraft
LAT Aerospace is working on a hybrid-electric short take-off and landing aircraft for regional operations. The company had previously demonstrated ultra-short take-off capability in a Lat One v0.1 test flight. However, the aircraft later crashed due to known structural defects identified through simulations. Now, LAT Aerospace is working on the next version of this innovative aircraft as part of its mission to revolutionize civil aviation platforms from India.