Dunzo, the grocery-delivery service that is in the middle of a financial crisis, is expecting another top level exit from the business. As per media reports, Mukund Jha, co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO), Dunzo, may depart from the company, but Dunzo denies the claim. Jha has been part of the company since 2015. The move has been anticipated in response to the series of notable departures at the quick- commerce startup.
In the last two months, the platform has witnessed the departure of approximately five board members. The initial resignations occurred on 3 August, when Ashwin Khasgiwala, the group chief, business operations, Reliance Retail, and Rajendra Kamath, finance head, Reliance Retail, stepped down from Dunzo’s board.
Reliance Retail currently holds the largest ownership stake in Dunzo, with a share of nearly 26 per cent.
However, the company has contradicted these reports, denying any possibility of Jha’s departure. As per company’s official statement, Jha remains a crucial member of the leadership team. It also emphasised that despite the ongoing organisational changes with new leaders taking on key responsibilities, Jha will maintain a significant role within the strategic leadership team, contributing to the direction and guidance of Dunzo’s future plans.
Dunzo has made significant cutbacks in its operations over the past year to save money. It has discontinued its own dark stores and even vacated its office space in Bengaluru.
The company is now majorly relying on third-party grocery stores for its services. Due to the cash crunch, Dunzo employees have not received their July salary, and part of their June pay is also pending. The company had resorted to using the OneTap payroll financing app to pay August salaries.