BigBasket vs Zepto: Founders, CEOs and History
BigBasket was founded in 2011 by Hari Menon, V.S. Sudhakar, Vipul Parekh and is led by Amit Nanda. Zepto was founded in 2021 by Aadit Palicha, Kaivalya Vohra and is led by Aadit Palicha.
Company facts
Founders
BigBasket
Hari Menon
Hari Menon co-founded Fabmart.com in 1999 and its physical extension Fabmall, a south Indian grocery chain that became part of Aditya Birla Retail's More.
V.S. Sudhakar
V.S. Sudhakar co-founded BigBasket's parent, Supermarket Grocery Supplies, in Bengaluru in December 2011 with Hari Menon, Vipul Parekh, V.S. Ramesh and Abhinay Choudhari.
Vipul Parekh
Vipul Parekh co-founded BigBasket in 2011 and ran its finance and marketing, often acting as its public voice on private labels, which he said made up more than a third of revenue in early 2023.
Abhinay Choudhari
Abhinay Choudhari co-founded BigBasket in December 2011 with Hari Menon, V.S. Sudhakar, Vipul Parekh and V.S. Ramesh.
V.S. Ramesh
V.S. Ramesh co-founded BigBasket in 2011 and oversaw its logistics and supply chain, the warehouse and delivery network that let it hold its own stock instead of picking orders from local shops.
Zepto
Aadit Palicha
Aadit Palicha co-founded KiranaKart in 2020 and Zepto in 2021 with Kaivalya Vohra, and has led the company as CEO since its launch.
Kaivalya Vohra
Kaivalya Vohra co-founded KiranaKart and then Zepto with Aadit Palicha and has led its technology work. He is one of the company's promoters named in the 2026 IPO filings and, like Palicha, did not offer shares in the proposed OFS.
CEOs and their tenures
BigBasket
- Hari Menon2011–2026
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Built BigBasket into India's largest online grocer by 2016 and ran it for almost 15 years.
Source - Amit Nanda2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
The first chief executive from outside the founding team. He joined from Amazon India, where he was director of selling partner services, with more than two decades across e-commerce, consumer goods and technology.
Source
Zepto
- Aadit Palicha2021–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Zepto since launch, growing it to ~$2.62 billion (₹22,624 crore) in FY26 revenue.
Source - Kaivalya Vohra2021–present
Co-Founder
Co-founder and promoter named in the 2026 IPO filings.
Source
Timeline: BigBasket and Zepto side by side
1999BigBasket
Founders start Fabmart.com
K. Vaitheeswaran, Hari Menon, V.S. Sudhakar, Vipul Parekh, V.S. Ramesh and others launched Fabmart.com, one of India's first online stores, selling books, toys and groceries.
2011BigBasket
BigBasket founded in Bengaluru
Menon, Sudhakar, Parekh, Ramesh and Abhinay Choudhari set up Supermarket Grocery Supplies in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, in December 2011, with $10 million of initial funding from Ascent Capital.
2015BigBasket
Delyver acquired
BigBasket bought hyperlocal delivery company Delyver in a cash-and-stock deal to build its last-mile delivery network.
2016BigBasket
India's largest online grocer
By mid-2016 BigBasket operated in eight large Indian cities and had become the country's biggest online grocer.
2018BigBasket
Alibaba leads $300 million round
Alibaba Group led a $300 million round in February 2018 that valued BigBasket at about $950 million. It then sold around 18,000 items to eight million customers in 25 cities.
2018BigBasket
BBdaily and BB Instant launched through acquisitions
In October 2018 BigBasket bought milk delivery startups RainCan and Morning Cart outright and a controlling stake in vending machine startup Kwik24, creating its BBdaily subscription service and BB Instant vending machines.
2019BigBasket
Unicorn valuation
A $150 million round led by Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund, CDC Group and Alibaba took BigBasket's valuation past $1 billion in May 2019.
2020BigBasket
Data breach of about 20 million users
Cyble reported in November 2020 that details of about 2 crore BigBasket users were on sale on the dark web. The company acknowledged the potential breach and filed a police complaint with the Bengaluru cyber crime cell.
2021BigBasket
Tata Digital takes majority control
Tata Digital bought a 64.3 percent stake in May 2021, adding about $200 million of fresh capital and buying out Alibaba and Actis in a deal reported at about $1.1 billion (₹9,500 crore).
2021BigBasket
BB Now and the first fresho store
In November 2021 BigBasket launched BB Now, its quick delivery service, and opened its first physical store in Bengaluru under the fresho brand for fruit and vegetables.
2021Zepto
Zepto launches
The founders moved from the KiranaKart kirana-partnership model to company-run dark stores and launched Zepto in Mumbai.
2022BigBasket
$200 million at a $3.2 billion valuation
BigBasket raised $200 million from investors including Tata Digital at a $3.2 billion valuation, announced in December 2022, and said it was eyeing a stock market listing by 2025.
2023Zepto
Reaches unicorn valuation
Raised $200 million at a $1.4 billion valuation in a round led by StepStone Group.
2024BigBasket
Full switch to quick commerce
In August 2024 BigBasket dropped scheduled next-day slots and moved its whole business to 10-to-30-minute delivery, folding BBdaily into the main app.
2024Zepto
$665M and $340M rounds
Raised $665 million at a $3.6 billion valuation in June and $340 million at a $5 billion valuation in August.
2025BigBasket
10-minute food delivery pilot
BigBasket began 10-minute food delivery in Bengaluru in June 2025 with Tata Starbucks and Qmin, the food platform of Indian Hotels Company. Tata Sons also hired Citi and Moelis that year to look for outside investors.
2025Zepto
$7B valuation and confidential IPO filing
Raised $450 million at a $7 billion valuation in October and filed IPO papers confidentially with SEBI in December.
2026BigBasket
Amit Nanda becomes CEO
Amazon veteran Amit Nanda replaced co-founder Hari Menon as chief executive on 16 June 2026. Menon and Vipul Parekh moved to board and mentoring roles; BigBasket then ran more than 850 dark stores.
2026BigBasket
Focus narrowed to about 40 cities; FY2026 loss reported
In July 2026 BigBasket cut its focus to about 40 profitable cities from 76 markets. Tata Sons' annual report showed the consumer arm's loss up 66 percent to ~$356 million (₹3,073 crore) on ~$954 million (₹8,223 crore) of revenue.
2026BigBasket
Hari Menon retires from full-time role
Co-founder Hari Menon's last day in full-time employment was 30 September 2026. He remains on the board and mentors the leadership team.
2026Zepto
Updated IPO prospectus filed
Filed its UDRHP on 8 June 2026 for a ~$929 million (₹8,010 crore) fresh issue plus an OFS, reporting FY26 revenue of ~$2.62 billion (₹22,624 crore).
2026Zepto
Listing delayed
Postponed the planned July listing over valuation and moved to raise pre-IPO funding first.
Acquisitions
BigBasket
- BigBasket (Supermarket Grocery Supplies), 64.3 percent stake taken by Tata Digital2021$1.2B
- RainCan and Morning Cart2018Undisclosed
- Kwik24 (Savis Retail), controlling stake2018Undisclosed
- Delyver2015Undisclosed
Zepto
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about BigBasket vs Zepto
Who is the CEO of BigBasket and Zepto (Zepto Limited)?
BigBasket is led by Amit Nanda and Zepto (Zepto Limited) is led by Aadit Palicha. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was BigBasket founded vs Zepto (Zepto Limited)?
BigBasket was founded in 2011 — 10 years before Zepto (Zepto Limited), which was founded in 2021. BigBasket's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Zepto (Zepto Limited).
How many employees does BigBasket have compared to Zepto (Zepto Limited)?
BigBasket employs approximately 58,000 people. A verified employee count for Zepto (Zepto Limited) is not currently available.
Where are BigBasket and Zepto (Zepto Limited) headquartered?
Both BigBasket and Zepto (Zepto Limited) are headquartered in India, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded BigBasket and Zepto (Zepto Limited)?
BigBasket was founded by Hari Menon, V.S. Sudhakar, Vipul Parekh, Abhinay Choudhari, V.S. Ramesh. Zepto (Zepto Limited) was founded by Aadit Palicha, Kaivalya Vohra.
Which company has a longer operating history — BigBasket or Zepto (Zepto Limited)?
BigBasket has been operating for approximately 15 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Zepto (Zepto Limited) has been in operation for around 5 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the BigBasket vs Zepto overview