The Revolving Door

Several senior executives and business heads bid adieu to start-up unicorns in the first half of 2023

- BHAVYA KAUSHAL

INDIA START-UPS SEEM to have hit refresh. From focussing on profitability to taking more cognizance of compliance and corporate governance, a lot has been happening. However, this transition appears to have also sparked a churn among the top brass at some start-ups, as many executives have decided to put in their papers to either start their own businesses or join legacy firms.

According to a report shared by Longhouse Consulting, Indian e-commerce start-up Meesho and edtech major Byju’s have seen the highest number of exits by far, followed by Bhavish Aggarwal-led Ola. Unicorn start-ups such as Unacademy and Swiggy, which claimed to have hit the profitability benchmark this year, also witnessed some senior-level exits. Dale Vaz, former Chief Technology Officer, left Swiggy to launch his wealth tech start-up, Aaritya.

In the first half of this year, more than 20 senior executives have bid adieu to start-up unicorns.