In a historic moment for India’s consumer tech landscape, Zomato founder and longtime CEO Deepinder Goyal has announced his decision to step down as group CEO of Eternal Limited, the parent company of Zomato, Blinkit and other ventures. His resignation will be effective from February 1, 2026, marking the end of the era of one of India’s most influential startup founders.

With Goyal’s departure, the leadership reins have passed to Blinkit Founder and CEO Albinder Singh Dhindsa, who will handle the day-to-day operations of Eternal as Group CEO. This high-profile change reflects not only a change in leadership – but also a potential strategic inflection point for one of India’s most watched tech conglomerates.

In this detailed analysis, we break down the why, what, and how of this change, explore the strategic implications, and reveal what it means for the future of India’s food delivery and instant commerce sectors.

Who is Deepinder Goyal? A Founder’s Journey

Deepinder Goyal is best known as the co-founder of Zomato, India’s most successful food delivery and restaurant discovery platform. Under his leadership, Zomato grew from a simple restaurant menu listing app to a global food tech leader, listing publicly and expanding across all markets.

For nearly two decades, Goyal has been at the forefront of India’s internet economy, driving innovation in food delivery, instant commerce and supply chain execution. His decision to step down marks one of the most significant leadership changes in the Indian startup ecosystem this decade.

Why is Goyal stepping down from the post of CEO?

In his letter to shareholders, Goyal explained that his interests and ambitions have evolved. He wrote that he had recently “found myself attracted to a set of new ideas that involve significantly higher risk exploration and experimentation – ideas that are better embraced outside a public company like Eternal.”

Major reasons cited:

• The desire to pursue high-risk, early-stage innovation outside the constraints of a public company.
• Regulatory and operational demands of running a publicly listed firm in India.
• The shift from execution to exploration, allowing them to innovate without the pressure of quarterly performance.

Goyal’s change reflects a broader trend seen among founders as companies mature: a shift from operator to institution-builder or idea incubator.

Albinder Dhindsa: New Group CEO

Goyal has been replaced by Albinder Singh Dhindsa, who is an increasingly recognized name in India’s tech startup ecosystem. Dhindsa is the co-founder and CEO of Blinkit, a swift-commerce platform that promises grocery delivery in minutes instead of hours.

About Albinder Dhindsa

Founder of Blinkit, a pioneer in instant commerce.

He holds a degree from IIT Delhi and an MBA from Columbia Business School, which provides him with a blend of technical and strategic business insights.

Blinkit is widely credited with scaling up its rapid delivery model across major Indian metros.

Dhindsa’s advancement signals a renewed focus on operational rigor and execution, particularly in accelerated commerce – a sector that is expected to grow rapidly in India.

What exactly is Eternal Limited?

Originally known as Zomato Limited, the company was renamed Eternal Limited as it expanded beyond food delivery into instant commerce, supply chain and other consumer services.

Under this structure:

Zomato focuses on food delivery and food services.

Blinkit offers ultra-fast grocery and essential items delivery.

Other enterprises span supply chains and near-consumer businesses.

This parent-subsidiary model positions Eternal as a diversified consumer tech holding company – not just a food delivery platform.

Strategic implications of leadership change

1. Renewed emphasis on accelerated commerce

With Blinkit founder Dhindsa taking the helm, Eternal may prioritize instant commerce as one of its main growth engines.

The instant commerce industry in India has seen high demand, especially post-pandemic, and Dhindsa’s leadership could unlock more aggressive scaling and unit economics optimization.

2. Institutionalization of business leadership

Goyal’s transfer to the post of vice chairman is now a common practice in mature technology companies. It allows:

• Dhindsa’s leadership focused on day-to-day operational leadership.
• Strategic oversight from Goyal in culture, governance and long-term vision.

This separation of execution and visionary direction is often cited as the key to growing large, diverse corporations.

Trends shaping this change

To fully understand this shift, it helps to look at the broader trends impacting India’s startup world:

 Founder changes are becoming mainstream

As startups grow larger and go public, founding CEOs are increasingly making way for professional managers – a natural evolution in corporate maturity.

 Instant commerce speed

India’s instant commerce market is projected to grow at double-digit rates, driven by urban demand for instant delivery and growing digital adoption.

Innovation versus public market discipline

Goyal’s reason – embracing high-risk innovation – highlights the tension between entrepreneurial freedom and public company discipline. Many founders believe that the public markets limit their ability to take bold risks.

Market and competitive impact

Shareholder reaction

Following the announcement, Eternal’s share price saw a positive move, reflecting investor confidence in a strong succession plan and accelerated growth momentum in Commerce.

Competitive Positioning

The change in Eternal’s leadership comes at a time when rivals such as Swiggy, Amazon, BigBasket and local players continue to invest in the delivery, supply chain and grocery sector. The eternal, subject to Dhindsa, may pursue:

• Deep integration of food and instant commerce.
• Advanced logistics and efficiency models.
• Technology-driven customer experience differentiators.

Conclusion: A Strategic Reset for Eternal

Deepinder Goyal’s resignation as Eternal’s Group CEO marks a significant moment – not a fall, but a strategic reset. By handing over the leadership to Albinder Dhindsa, Eternal signals a shift towards disciplined execution and focused growth, especially in accelerated commerce. Meanwhile, Goyal’s move to pursue high-risk innovation highlights a broader trend of founders becoming entrepreneurial investors and visionaries.

Whether this change strengthens Eternal’s position in India’s competitive tech ecosystem will emerge over time – but one thing is clear: This is a thoughtful, well-planned succession that could define the next chapter of India’s startup story.