Aadit Palicha is not your average 21-year-old. He is the co-founder and CEO of Zepto, India’s first and fastest-growing online grocery delivery startup that achieved a $1.4 billion valuation in 2023.
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Aadit’s journey began in Dubai, where he attended GEMS Modern Academy and excelled in academics and debating. He always had a knack for creating apps since, at 17, he made GoPool, a car-pooling app for parents and kids, helping them organize rides to school.
This idea was lauded by Emirates NBD, which gave him a grant and gave him a headstart in understanding the market and customer needs.
After graduating from GEMS Modern Academy, he was admitted to Standford University to study computer science. However, after two years, he decided to drop out to chase his dream of building his own company with his childhood friend and schoolmate, Kaivalya Vohra.
Founder and CEO of Zepto
Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra founded Zepto in April 2021 with a vision to deliver high-quality groceries to customers in India within 10 minutes. Their strategy was to create a network of hyperlocal stores that fulfil orders quickly and efficiently.
Zepto became a quick hit with Indian consumers due to its convenience, quality, and speed. It’s now available in 11 cities and can process hundreds of thousands of orders daily.
In August 2023, Zepto raised $200 million in a Series E funding round led by StepStone Group, a US asset management firm, along with other existing investors. This made Zepto the first Indian startup to join the unicorn club in 2023.
Zepto’s Unprecedented Growth
“If we look at what qualities have helped us attain the growth we have, it’s been a constant drive for excellence in everything we do and attention to those micro details at every level to ensure a great service in a timely fashion,” Aadit said about the fast growth of Zepto.
Aadit, who will turn 22 later this month, is now focused on scaling Zepto to more cities in India and beyond in the next few years. He’s also not stopping, as he’s planning to launch new categories of products and services on the platform, like prepared food items and snacks.
