Deepinder Goyal steps down as Eternal Group CEO to pursue high‑risk innovation

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Synopsis

Deepinder Goyal, founder of Eternal Ltd (parent of Zomato and Blinkit), will step down as Group CEO to focus on high‑risk, exploratory ideas outside the firm’s core business, while Albinder Singh Dhindsa takes over operations.

Summary

Deepinder Goyal, the co‑founder of Zomato and current Group Chief Executive Officer of Eternal Ltd — the holding company behind India’s leading food delivery and quick commerce platforms — has announced he will step down from his executive role effective February 1, 2026.

In an official stock exchange filing, Goyal explained that his decision is driven by a desire to pursue high‑risk exploratory ideas that fall outside the scope of a listed company’s operational and regulatory framework. These ideas, he noted, require freedom and flexibility that a public company environment cannot easily accommodate. “If these ideas belonged within Eternal’s strategic scope, I would have pursued them within the company. They do not,” he wrote, underscoring that this transition is about strategic focus — both for him and the company.

Under this transition plan, Albinder Singh Dhindsa, currently CEO of Blinkit, will take over as Group CEO of Eternal. Dhindsa has been credited with building Blinkit’s team, culture and supply chain operations, and Goyal praised his ability to execute and lead on day‑to‑day business priorities.

Goyal will retain a long‑term role at Eternal as Vice Chairman and Director on the Board for five years, focusing on organisational culture, leadership development, ethics and governance. He stressed that Eternal needs to remain “focused and disciplined” in its core areas while he explores new ideas independently.

This leadership change reflects both institutional maturity in India’s tech ecosystem — where founders are separating strategy from execution — and a commitment to supporting innovation that may sit beyond the current company structure.