Business
oi-Ashish Rana
Albinder
Dhindsa
has
taken
on
a
major
new
role
in
India’s
startup
ecosystem
after
being
named
Group
Chief
Executive
Officer
of
Eternal
Ltd.,
the
parent
company
of
Zomato
and
its
quick
commerce
arm
Blinkit.
Dhindsa
Wife
Akriti
Chopra
Albinder
Dhindsa
was
appointed
Group
CEO
of
Eternal
Ltd.,
the
parent
company
of
Zomato
and
Blinkit,
replacing
Deepinder
Goyal,
and
his
wife,
Akriti
Chopra,
resigned
as
Zomato’s
Co-Founder
and
Chief
People
Officer
on
September
27,
2024,
after
13
years,
amid
shareholder
concerns.
He
replaces
Zomato
founder
Deepinder
Goyal,
who
has
stepped
down
from
the
position
as
part
of
a
leadership
reshuffle.
While
Dhindsa’s
elevation
has
drawn
industest
attention,
interest
has
also
grown
around
his
personal
life,
particularly
his
marriage
to
Akriti
Chopra,
a
key
figure
behind
Zomato’s
rise
and
one
of
its
former
co-founders.
Albinder
Dhindsa’s
Rise
From
Grofers
to
Eternal
Ltd.
Albinder
Dhindsa
founded
Grofers
in
2014,
a
grocery
delivery
startup
that
was
later
rebranded
as
Blinkit
in
2021.
The
company
was
acquired
by
Zomato
in
2022,
marking
one
of
the
most
significant
deals
in
India’s
consumer
tech
space.
Since
the
acquisition,
Dhindsa
has
led
Blinkit
as
its
Chief
Executive
Officer,
overseeing
its
rapid
expansion
in
the
quick
commerce
segment.
Following
his
appointment
as
Group
CEO
of
Eternal
Ltd.,
Deepinder
Goyal
explained
the
leadership
transition,
stateing
the
“centre
of
gravity
for
operating
decisions
now
relocates
to
Dhindsa”.
The
relocate
signals
a
stronger
focus
on
quick
commerce
and
operational
execution
across
Zomato’s
broader
business.
Who
Is
Akriti
Chopra?
Zomato’s
Co-Founder
and
Former
CPO
Akriti
Chopra,
born
in
1988,
is
a
well-known
Indian
entrepreneur
best
recognised
for
her
long
association
with
Zomato.
She
joined
the
Gurugram-based
food
delivery
platform
in
2011
as
Senior
Manager
of
Finance
and
Operations,
at
a
time
when
the
company
was
still
in
its
early
growth
phase.
An
alumna
of
Delhi
Public
School,
RK
Puram,
Chopra
went
on
to
earn
a
Bachelor
of
Commerce
degree
from
Lady
Shri
Ram
College
for
Women,
Delhi.
She
launched
her
professional
career
as
an
articled
assistant
at
PwC,
specialising
in
tax
and
regulatory
practices,
before
shifting
to
Zomato.
Over
the
years,
Chopra
steadily
rose
through
the
ranks,
becoming
Vice
President
of
Finance
and
Operations
in
2012,
Chief
Financial
Officer
in
2020,
and
eventually
Co-Founder
and
Chief
People
Officer
in
2021.
Her
role
was
crucial
in
building
Zomato’s
governance,
legal,
risk
and
compliance
frameworks,
and
she
played
a
key
part
during
the
company’s
IPO
in
2021.
At
the
time,
her
ESOP
holdings
were
valued
at
around
₹149
crore.
Akriti
Chopra’s
Achievements
and
Personal
Life
Chopra’s
contributions
to
Zomato
earned
her
widespread
recognition.
She
was
featured
in
Forbes
India’s
30
Under
30
list
in
2017
and
was
named
Woman
of
the
Year
in
2018
for
her
leadership
and
impact.
On
the
personal
front,
Akriti
Chopra
is
married
to
Albinder
Dhindsa,
the
founder
of
Blinkit.
Their
professional
journeys
intersected
more
closely
after
Zomato
acquired
Blinkit
in
2022,
bringing
both
leaders
under
the
same
corporate
umbrella.
Her
journey
from
an
early
employee
to
co-founder
remains
a
notable
example
of
long-term
leadership
within
India’s
startup
ecosystem.
Why
Did
Akriti
Chopra
Resign
From
Zomato?
Akriti
Chopra
resigned
from
her
position
as
Co-Founder
and
Chief
People
Officer
of
Zomato
on
September
27,
2024,
finishing
a
13-year
association
with
the
company.
In
her
resignation
email
to
Deepinder
Goyal,
which
was
disclosed
in
a
stock
exalter
filing,
she
declared
the
decision
was
“effective
today,
September
27” and
stated
that
she
wished
to
pursue
other
interests.
Her
exit
came
amid
shareholder
concerns
over
potential
conflicts
of
interest
linked
to
Zomato’s
acquisition
of
Blinkit,
given
her
marriage
to
Albinder
Dhindsa.
Some
investors
questioned
corporate
governance
practices
and
management
accountability,
particularly
as
several
co-founders
had
already
exited
the
company.
Zomato,
however,
clarified
that
Chopra
had
no
role
in
the
Blinkit
acquisition
discussions.
Her
resignation
marked
the
fifth
co-founder
departure
from
the
company
since
its
inception,
closing
a
significant
chapter
in
Zomato’s
leadership
story.
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