BackKumar steps back at Grofers
Almost eight years after starting online grocer Grofers, co-founder Saurabh Kumar is leaving the company
PremiumBengaluru: Almost eight years after starting online grocer Grofers, co-founder Saurabh Kumar is leaving the company.
In an email to employees, Kumar said he will no longer be involved in the company’s day-to-day functions, but will continue to be a shareholder and board member.
“When I look back at what we have achieved in this short time, I can only feel proud. You should too. We have gone through a fair share of ups and downs, but we always faced them together and came out stronger. This is because of your hard work and many sacrifices you have made. Whenever we had our backs to the wall, your strength and support gave me courage [...] I haven’t known a life outside Grofers. Most of my learning and growing up has happened here," Kumar wrote.
“I have been reflecting on my life and personal ambitions for some time. And my decision to step away is the outcome of that. I want to wander again," he wrote.
Co-founder and chief executive Albinder Dhindsa called Kumar’s exit the “end of an era" for Grofers.
“Incredibly humble and grounded, he (Kumar) has always reminded me of how fortunate I was to be building Grofers with him, in a zone of no ego and no second guessing. SK is not only my co-founder, he is my friend, my support system during upheavals; the keeper of my conscience, and a brother and family to me," Dhindsa wrote in a company blog.
Dhindsa also wrote that over the past six months, Kumar had been yearning to invest in his own personal evolution—to grow beyond a growth driver to become a designer, enabler and coach.
“Diving deeper has convinced him that this is another area he can have a huge impact on, if he can build on it from scratch. I know SK has been pulling the weight on most of our sprints, but I also know he’s a marathon runner, and this time to go far, he must go alone. I am fully supportive of his decision. And wherever that may lead him on his journey," said Dhindsa.
Till date, Grofers has raised close to $600 million across multiple tranches and is backed by large investors, including Sequoia Capital India, Tiger Global Management and SoftBank.
For Grofers, order volumes grew by 80% in 2020, as pandemic-induced lockdowns forced consumers to resort to online platforms for ordering daily essentials.
It now operates across more than 38 cities in India.
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