Zomato Food Delivery CEO Rakesh Ranjan Steps Down, Founder Deepinder Goyal To Assume Control

As part of a broader strategic leadership reshuffle, Zomato has announced that Rakesh Ranjan, the Chief Executive Officer of its food delivery arm, is stepping down from his role. Following this development, Founder and Group CEO Deepinder Goyal will temporarily assume Ranjan's responsibilities, according to multiple media reports.

A source close to the matter told Moneycontrol that Ranjan will continue to remain with the company to ensure a smooth transition and uninterrupted operations.

"There's an internal reshuffle underway, and as part of that, Ranjan is stepping down from his position as food delivery CEO. Deepinder (Goyal) will be overseeing the vertical until a permanent replacement is finalised," a source familiar with the development told The Economic Times.

Ranjan, who has been with Zomato for nearly eight years, was elevated to the CEO role in June 2023. His tenure saw a period of rapid innovation and expansion in Zomato's food delivery operations.

This leadership shake-up, which happens at Zomato every two years, follows another high-profile exit earlier this month, when Zomato's Chief Operating Officer Rinshul Chandra, a long-time associate of Goyal, resigned from the company to pursue "new opportunities and passions."

"It has been an incredibly fulfilling journey over the past seven years, and I am truly grateful for the trust, support, and opportunities I've received during my time here. I wish our world-class teams at Eternal the very best," Chandra wrote in his resignation letter, according to an exchange filing.

Leadership Change Amid Antitrust Case Verdict

The latest round of leadership changes comes on the heels of a significant legal development for the company. Zomato was recently cleared by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in an antitrust lawsuit filed by Lalit Wadher, a senior citizen, who alleged that the platform was engaged in anti-competitive practices and abuse of market dominance.

The lawsuit, filed in 2024, accused Zomato of a slew of unfair practices, including charging customers 20 to 30 percent higher prices than restaurants, failing to take responsibility for the quality of food delivered, levying additional charges without opt-out options, raising platform fees by 20 percent without enhancing the app interface, and hiding original food prices due to the absence of price stickers.

Wadher further contended that Zomato should be held accountable under the Sale of Goods Act, 1930, for duties typically borne by sellers, such as disclosure of information, warranties, and delivery responsibilities.

However, the CCI ruled in favor of the Gurugram-headquartered company, stating that the platform's levying of various charges, such as delivery and platform fees, was neither unfair nor discriminatory. The Commission also found no violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2002, which addresses abuse of dominant market position.