Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha responds to smear campaign by rival CFO, claims competitor spreading false information to...

Aadit Palicha, the Co-Founder and CEO of Zepto, recently spoke out against a smear campaign allegedly run by the CFO of a rival company. In a LinkedIn post, Palicha claimed that the competitor was spreading false information to damage Zepto’s reputation. According to Palicha, the campaign involved calling Zepto’s investors with baseless accusations, sharing fake numbers and Excel sheets with journalists, and using bots on social media to spread negativity. He called these actions unprofessional and said they were not expected from a top-quality company.

Palicha suggested that the rival CFO’s actions may be due to Zepto’s strong business performance. To clear the air, he shared details about Zepto’s growth and financial health.

Zepto’s Gross Order Value (GOV) has grown significantly over the past year — from around Rs 750 crore per month in May 2024 to Rs 2,400 crore per month in May 2025. GOV includes the selling price of fruits and vegetables, as well as advertising revenue.

According to reports, the company’s EBITDA — a measure of profitability — has improved by 20 percentage points from January to May 2025. During the same time, cash burn has dropped by 65%. Even with reduced spending, Zepto’s GOV has grown by 20%, showing monthly growth of about 4–5%.

Zepto expects most of its dark stores to become EBITDA positive by next quarter. This includes all related costs such as supply chain, customer support, delivery, and store operations. The company also believes it will be close to breakeven in terms of EBITDA and operating cash flow soon.

Zepto has a strong financial base, with Rs 7,445 crore in net cash in the bank. This money has been fully verified and gives the company several years of operating runway. It also has strong financial practices, regular audits by a Big 4 firm, and a reliable finance team.

Palicha urged the competitor’s CFO to stop spreading lies. He said that while competition is healthy, dishonesty is not. He ended by saying that Zepto’s success speaks for itself and encouraged everyone to focus on doing good work.