Deepinder Goyal has resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Eternal, effective 1 February, while Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa will replace him. Amid the latest management changes, here is a look at the time when Goyal asked Dhindsa to leave.
In an interview with podcaster Raj Shamani, Deepinder Goyal discussed the possible conflict from Zomato's 2022 acquisition of Blinkit.
When Goyal asked Dhindsa to resign
“Right after we acquired Blinkit, I asked him (Albinder) to leave. I told him, 'You will not be able to cut it.' He said okay. This happened twice during that timeframe, and we started the transition,” Goyal said on the podcast.
Founded by Albinder Dhindsa in 2013, Blinkit, previously called Grofers, was acquired by Zomato in 2022 for ₹4,447 crore in an all-stock deal. Following the acquisition, Grofers rebranded as Blinkit and shifted to a 10-minute delivery model.
Explaining the reason why he asked Dhindsa to leave, Goyal said that he frequently used to mention how things worked at Grofers, something he did not appreciate.
“Can we please stop mentioning that. You can say, this is what we used to do but let's understand our new business,” Goyal said.
Goyal recalled the incident in the podcast days before he announced his resignation as Eternal CEO, while expressing hopes over Dhindsa's appointment.
Deepinder Goyal's resignation
On Wednesday, 21 January, Goyal announced his resignation to pursue a new set of ideas he has been interested in for some time, according to a letter to shareholders.
Praising Dhindsa, he wrote in a post on X, “Blinkit's journey from acquisition to breakeven happened under his leadership. He built the team, the culture, the supply chain, the operating rhythm. He has the DNA of a battle-hardened founder and his ability to execute far exceeds mine. He is more than capable of leading Eternal as Group CEO."
He added, “Blinkit remains our largest growth opportunity and will remain as Albi’s top priority. Our decentralised structure, where each business has a CEO with full ownership, continues unchanged – and will help Albi execute this well."
From 1 February onwards, current Blinkit CEO Albinder Singh Dhindsa will take charge as Chief Executive Officer and Key Managerial Personnel of Eternal.
More about Albinder Dhindsa
Prior to founding Blinkit, Albinder served as Head of International Expansion at Zomato, where he oversaw the company's global expansion. He graduated with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering from IIT Delhi, followed by an MBA from Columbia University, New York.
Describing Dhindsa's preferences, the Blinkit website reads, “He is always seen juggling a few books, enjoys playing basketball, listening to French music and eating meals prepared by his mother.”