Swiggy Instamart has appointed Gautam Swaroop as its Chief Business Officer (CBO), following the recent departure of Hari Kumar from the role. Swaroop will lead Instamart's commercial operations, including customer growth, category management, and brand partnerships. This leadership change comes amid significant shifts at Swiggy, with COO Ankit Jain also leaving the company recently, according to inc42.com.
Gautam Swaroop brings extensive experience to Instamart, having served as CEO of OYO’s international business vertical before joining. He has also worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and spent over ten years at Dr Reddy’s Laboratories. Swiggy highlighted that Swaroop’s background in expansion will support Instamart’s efforts to broaden its product assortment and deepen brand collaborations, aiming to strengthen its position in the quick commerce market, inc42.com reported.
The appointment is significant as Instamart faces intense competition in the quick commerce sector. While Blinkit leads the market, Zepto has recently overtaken Instamart as the second-largest platform. Additionally, major e-commerce players like Amazon and Flipkart are investing heavily in dark store networks and discounting strategies to capture market share. Instamart has been striving to reach EBITDA breakeven and maintain its market presence amid these challenges, according to inc42.com.
Hari Kumar had been with Instamart since November 2024 before stepping down. The company’s leadership changes follow the earlier resignation of Swiggy cofounder Lakshmi Nandan Reddy from the board in April. Instamart’s next strategic moves under Gautam Swaroop’s commercial leadership will be closely watched as the company navigates a competitive landscape, inc42.com stated.