Grocery Wars Get Spicy: Zepto’s Palicha Accuses Rival CFO of Foul Play

The Indian quick commerce sector is witnessing a new flashpoint with Zepto co-founder and CEO Aadit Palicha accusing the Chief Financial Officer of a competing firm of being behind a systematic smear campaign against Zepto. The dramatic turn of events comes as competition in the sector is at a peak with players fighting it out to dominate the ultra-fast delivery segment. 

Key highlights of the statement:

Aadit Palicha alleges a rival CFO is spreading misinformation regarding Zepto, including sending fake data to investors and hiring paid social media bots to tarnish Zepto's reputation. 

Although Palicha did not mention the name of the competitor or the company, he described the conduct as unprofessional and below industry standards, suggesting growing anxiety among competitors after Zepto's recent success.

Zepto's financial performance has been strong, with month-over-month Gross Order Value (GOV) rising from ₹750 crore in May 2024 to ₹2,400 crore in May 2025, including advertising revenue and retail-priced products.

The company has seen a 2,000 basis point improvement in EBITDA and reduced cash burn by 65 percent over the past five months.

Zepto's net cash balance stands at ₹7,445 crore, which Palicha assures is fully reconciled with bank statements, and gives a long runway financially for years to come.

Contrary to rumors of large-scale store closures, Zepto is actually expanding its dark store network and expects most stores to turn EBITDA positive by the next quarter.

Palicha highlighted Zepto's transparency, citing rigorous audits by Big Four firms and a clean financial due diligence report.

The CEO called for ethical competition and requested competitors to focus on business execution rather than casting baseless attacks.

As the race for quick commerce intensifies, everyone will be keenly observing how Zepto and its competitors unfold this high-stakes battle.

Source: Economic Times, Moneycontrol