Gaurav Gupta, co-founder and Head of Supply at Zomato left the company on Tuesday, September 14. In an email to employees, Gupta said that he was leaving the company after six years, and that he will be starting a new chapter. Gupta was also the face of the company leading up to its IPO, interacting with both investors and mediapersons. According to Moneycontrol, which first reported the story, Gaurav had a fallout with founder Deepinder Goyal.
Zomato recently pulled the plug on its second grocery pilot as well as its nutraceuticals business, both of which were reportedly launched by Gaurav. In addition, Zomato’s overseas expansion was also led by Gaurav, and has been curtailed off late. “I am taking a new turn in my life and will be starting a new chapter, taking a lot from this defining chapter of my life – the last 6 years at Zomato. We have a great team now to take Zomato forward and it’s time for me to take an alternate path in my journey. I am very emotional as I write this and don’t think any words can do justice to how I am feeling right now,” Gaurav wrote in his email to all of the company’s employees.
Gupta joined Zomato as the head of Table Reservations, made COO in 2018 and elevated to co-founder in 2019. “Came in 6 years back not knowing what this would turn out to be. And what a mind blowing and amazing journey this has been. Feel proud of where we are today, what we have overcome to get here and feel even more proud of what we will achieve in the future,” he wrote in his email to employees.
He thanked Deepinder Goyal as well in his email. “Thank you Deepi for making me a part of this journey. I will always cherish the amazing times we have had together. I have learnt a lot from you all along and I know in my heart that you will take Zomato to heights that most cannot even imagine,” he said.
In his response, Deepinder Goyal wrote, “Thank you GG for everything you have helped Zomato achieve over the last few years. We have seen Zomato through great as well as terrible times together, and brought it here today. There’s so much of our journey still ahead of us, and I am thankful that you are hanging your boots at a point where we have a great team and leadership to carry us forward.”