Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal Sets Sights on Regional Aviation with LAT Aerospace

After revolutionizing food delivery in India, Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal is now turning his attention skyward. Goyal is backing LAT Aerospace, a startup aiming to transform regional air travel across the country, according to a LinkedIn post by LAT co-founder Surobhi Das.

Goyal’s venture comes at a time when regional aviation is still in its infancy, grappling with regulatory hurdles, evolving technology, and the question of widespread adoption. But the opportunity is massive.

“While building Zomato and flying across India, Deepinder and I kept circling back to the same question: Why is regional air travel still so broken—expensive, infrequent, and mostly inaccessible unless you live in a metro?” Das shared.

India is home to 450 airstrips, yet only about 150 currently see commercial flights. “That means nearly two-thirds of our aviation potential is being wasted,” Das said. Millions of people in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities still spend hours—or days—traveling by road or rail.

A Vision for Affordable, Frequent Air Travel

With LAT Aerospace, Goyal and Das want to reimagine short-haul flying as simple and convenient as hopping on a bus.

“Think buses in the sky—affordable, high-frequency, and designed to connect the places the airline industry has overlooked,” Das explained.

The startup plans to operate small aircraft from compact “air-stops”—airfields no larger than a parking lot, built closer to where people live. The aim is to eliminate the chaos of traditional airports and make flying as seamless as possible.

“No chaos. No security lines. Just walk in and fly,” Das said.

If successful, LAT Aerospace could unlock the untapped potential of India’s regional air infrastructure and bring faster, more affordable connectivity to millions.

Stay tuned as this ambitious project takes flight.

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India’s Telecom Duopoly Driven by Market Dynamics, Not Policy: Minister

India’s telecom landscape, often criticized for being a duopoly dominated by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, is shaped more by market realities than by government policy, according to Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Communications. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 roadshow in Bengaluru, Pemmasani emphasized that the sector’s capital intensity has naturally led to consolidation.

“The duopoly has not been created intentionally by anybody. Telecom requires massive capex,” he noted, highlighting how Reliance Jio and Airtel’s ability to deploy significant capital allowed them to roll out services nationwide. “Because of them, we were able to achieve the fastest 5G rollout in the world.”

Despite the current market structure, Pemmasani stressed that the government does not envision a two-player market. “We need four to five telecom companies,” he said. To that end, the government converted nearly ₹36,000 crore of Vodafone Idea’s dues into equity, though the company continues to face challenges and regularly seeks support.

BSNL Revival and Homegrown Tech

The minister reiterated the commitment to revive Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) as part of a broader push for indigenous technology.

“BSNL’s revival is taking longer because we are also focused on building homegrown solutions. But eventually, BSNL will become a strong alternative,” he said.

India Eyes Leadership in 6G

Looking ahead, India is determined not to miss out on shaping the next generation of telecom standards.

“With 2G, 3G, 4G, and even 5G, India was not part of the global standard-setting process. But with 6G, we’ve already contributed to about 10% of the global standards and filed over 200 patents,” Pemmasani shared.

Globally, countries like China and the US aim to roll out 6G by 2030, and India plans to launch services in parallel.

Connectivity Milestones

With 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, 1 billion broadband users, and over 2.2 lakh villages connected via BharatNet, India has made significant progress in bridging the digital divide.

“We are investing an additional $18 billion to connect 40,000 more gram panchayats and 1.5 crore rural households with high-speed internet,” he said.

He also highlighted India’s transformation into a manufacturing hub: “From importing 75% of our mobile devices, we are now exporting ₹1.8 trillion worth of devices annually.”

Supporting Startups and Tackling AI Risks

Through the Telecom Technology Development Fund, nearly ₹500 crore has been deployed to support 120 high-tech startups. Pemmasani acknowledged that emerging technologies like AI will be both transformational and challenging.

“AI can enable fraud, but it can also empower citizens. For example, telecom has developed a financial fraud risk indicator to proactively profile users by risk and prevent fraud,” he explained.

As India accelerates toward 6G and deepens rural connectivity, the government plans to adapt regulations to keep pace with rapid technological change.

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HDB Financial Services IPO Listing: All You Need to Know

Shares of HDB Financial Services, the non-banking finance arm of HDFC Bank, are all set to make their stock market debut on July 2, 2025. Investors and market watchers are keenly awaiting whether the listing will see a premium opening.

Robust Subscription Demand

The ₹12,500 crore IPO attracted strong interest, closing with a subscription of 16.69 times on the final day of bidding last Friday. Institutional buyers played a major role in driving demand.

IPO Details

  • Price Band: ₹700–₹740 per share
  • Anchor Book: Ahead of the public issue, HDB Financial raised ₹3,369 crore from anchor investors, underscoring confidence in the company’s growth story.

Use of Proceeds

The funds raised through this IPO will be primarily used to bolster the company’s Tier-I capital base, enabling HDB Financial to expand its lending book and meet future capital requirements to support business growth.

Market Buzz

Ahead of listing, HDB Financial shares were already in focus. As of 3:08 PM today, the stock was trading at ₹841.20 on the NSE, up 0.74%, taking the company’s market capitalisation to nearly ₹69,800 crore.

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