Deepinder Goyal formally steps down as Eternal chief
What's the story
Deepinder Goyal, the co-founder of Eternal Ltd (formerly Zomato Ltd), has officially resigned from his positions as managing director, chief executive officer (CEO), and director. The company announced the development via a stock market filing on February 6. Goyal's resignation came into effect from the close of business hours on February 1, 2026, and was detailed in a letter addressed to the company's board.
Leadership shift
Goyal to remain as non-executive vice chairman
In his resignation letter, Goyal announced his decision to step down from his executive roles at Eternal. However, he expressed interest in continuing as a non-executive vice chairman of the board subject to shareholder approval. In this capacity, he would focus on long-term strategy, culture, leadership development, and ethics and governance while stepping away from day-to-day execution responsibilities.
Stock options
Unvested ESOPs revert to ESOP pool
As part of the transition, all of Goyal's unvested employee stock options will revert to the ESOP pool. This move, as per the company, would ensure continued incentives for future leaders without any additional dilution for shareholders. The decision comes as Goyal has been increasingly drawn toward exploring higher-risk ideas outside a public company due to the expectations and regulatory demands of being a listed-company CEO in India.
New appointment
Albinder Dhindsa appointed as new Group CEO
Albinder Dhindsa, the CEO of Blinkit, has been appointed as the new Group CEO of Eternal. He will now oversee operational priorities and business decisions. Goyal described Blinkit as Eternal's biggest growth opportunity and noted that it reached breakeven under Dhindsa's leadership. The company also reiterated its decentralized operating model with individual CEOs for each business unit.