Zepto seeks to slash monthly cash burn ahead of IPO

Quick commerce platform Zepto, which outpaced rivals Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart in monthly cash burn during June-August, is targeting a sharp reduction in these expenses in the run-up to a planned initial public offering (IPO), three people familiar with the matter said.

- Salman S.H.

The platform wants to scale down the cash reserves it utilizes to cover operating expenses to $10-20 million a month.

The platform wants to scale down the cash reserves it utilizes to cover operating expenses to $10-20 million (₹88.5 crore-₹177 crore) a month even as it cuts marketing expenditure and staff costs to narrow losses, they said.

Estimates of Zepto's monthly cash burn vary. The cash burn was $80 million (₹708 crore) in August, according to two employees. However, after this story was first published online, a company spokesperson said this figure was "substantially off," declining to specify the amount. A top company official, who asked not to be identified, said the cash burn was in the range of ₹350-400 crore.

Swiggy's cash burn for both its food delivery business and quick commerce together was ₹1,341 crore in Q1 of FY26 and fell to ₹749 crore in Q2, as per the company's financials.