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Aadit Palicha, Founder of Zepto
A day after Zepto raised $450 million, valuing the startup at $7 billion, CEO Aadit Palicha spoke to employees about what comes next.
In a town hall, Palicha said Zepto has “cracked proximity” with its 10-minute delivery model, but the next step is to “crack value.”
He compared the company’s stage to DMart, which is strong on pricing but does not offer fast deliveries.
Zepto’s $450 million fundraise and what it means
The $450 million funding marks a big step for Zepto. In just three years, the startup has built over 800 dark stores across India. This network lets the company deliver groceries and essentials quickly to many customers.
Palicha told employees, “When we started off, we were number 7, but now we’re number 2.” He added that the next focus is to give customers good prices while keeping the business efficient.
Zepto competes with Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, and Flipkart Minutes. Palicha said only “two or three players” will continue in the long term as the market becomes tougher.
The company plans to focus on lasting growth instead of just fast expansion.
Why the DMart comparison is important
Palicha compared Zepto to DMart to explain the company’s next challenge.
“Both Zepto and DMart are stuck at the same juncture right now,” Palicha said.
“We have cracked proximity but yet to crack value, and DMart has cracked value but not proximity,” he said. DMart succeeds by offering low prices and running efficient stores, while Zepto’s strength is fast delivery.
The aim is to combine both strengths. If Zepto can offer good prices along with quick deliveries, it could change the way people buy daily essentials.
The comparison shows that the company wants to become not just fast, but also cost-friendly and reliable.