Zepto’s CEO and co-founder, Aadit Palicha, has publicly accused a rival company’s chief financial officer of orchestrating a smear campaign against his firm. Despite facing these challenges, Zepto continues to demonstrate significant growth and improved financial health. Aadit Palicha’s statement highlights both the company’s impressive performance metrics and his call for fair competition, reflecting the intense rivalry within the quick commerce sector.
Allegations of a Smear Campaign
In a detailed LinkedIn post, Aadit Palicha revealed that over the past few days, Zepto has been the target of a targeted misinformation campaign. This campaign reportedly involves the rival company’s CFO contacting Zepto’s investors with baseless allegations, distributing misleading data and fabricated Excel sheets, and employing social media bots to spread negative narratives about Zepto. Aadit Palicha did not disclose the name of the competitor but noted that Zepto’s key rivals include Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Flipkart Minutes, and Tata BigBasket.
Aadit Palicha described these tactics as “below the stature expected” of a CFO in a reputable company, suggesting that the rival firm is increasingly concerned about Zepto’s fast-improving EBITDA performance. He emphasized that while healthy competition is welcome, spreading falsehoods undermines fair business conduct.
Strong Financial Growth and Positive Outlook
Aadit Palicha shared impressive growth figures for Zepto, noting that the company’s gross order value (GOV) has surged from around ₹750 crore per month in May 2024 to ₹2,400 crore per month by May 2025. This growth includes sales of fruits and vegetables at selling price along with advertising revenue. Moreover, Zepto’s EBITDA margin has improved significantly by 20 percentage points from January 2025 to May 2025, nearing single-digit profitability. Cash burn has also decreased by approximately 65 percent during this period.
Aadit Palicha expects most of Zepto’s dark stores to become fully EBITDA positive by the next quarter, factoring in all supply chain, customer support, and operational costs. He further stated that the company currently holds about ₹7,445 crore in net cash, with a strong runway for years to come based on current spending patterns.
Aadit Palicha concluded his message urging the rival CFO to cease the campaign and focus on healthy competition, emphasizing that Zepto remains a formidable competitor in the evolving quick commerce market.
