Grocery delivery start-up Apna Mart fires 10% of its workforce
What's the story
Accel and Peak XV-backed grocery delivery start-up, Apna Mart, has laid off 10% of its workforce. The move comes as part of the company's transition to Gurugram from Bengaluru and its adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in business operations. The company confirmed the layoffs in an internal email reviewed by Economic Times.
Company statement
Affected employees to get 2 months' salary as severance pay
In its internal communication, Apna Mart said, ".. your role has been impacted as part of our transition from Bangalore to base locations." The company also assured affected employees that they would be given severance pay equivalent to two months of their salaries. The decision has impacted about 35-40 employees across different verticals within the organization.
Organizational restructuring
Some roles became redundant due to AI
Responding to ET's queries, Apna Mart said, "This is part of a broader organizational restructuring where we are aligning teams closer to our core markets." The company added that some employees were let go as relocation wasn't possible for them. It also noted that certain roles have become redundant due to AI handling the work previously done by humans.
Relocation details
Product and tech teams now based in Gurugram
Apna Mart's product and tech team will now be based in Gurugram. The company currently operates in 10 cities across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal with operational teams in these locations. "We have historically operated and executed from these cities, and this move is in line with that approach," the company said while explaining its decision to relocate.
Market position
Competes with Blinkit, Instamart, Zepto
Founded by Abhishek Singh and Chetan Garg, Apna Mart operates on a franchisee model, delivering groceries in 10 minutes in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The firm competes with quick commerce companies like Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto. Unlike these rivals who follow a dark store and delivery-only model, Apna Mart follows an omnichannel approach similar to Reliance's JioMart.