Swiggy's Instamart Names Gautam Swaroop as Chief Business Officer

Swiggy’s quick commerce arm Instamart on Wednesday named Gautam Swaroop, most recently chief executive officer of OYO’s international business, as its chief business officer. Swaroop steps into the role vacated by Hari Kumar, who resigned last month along with chief operating officer Ankit Jain. Both were former Flipkart executives who had joined Instamart under CEO Amitesh Jha, himself an ex-Flipkart hand. Swiggy had said at the time that it had identified external candidates to lead the business, with a new executive expected to join within weeks. At OYO, Swaroop steered a portfolio spanning the US, UK, Europe, China and LATAM to profitability, Swiggy said in a statement. Earlier, he scaled Dr Reddy’s Laboratories’ emerging markets business from $37 million to $190 million in revenues, and began his career with a decade at McKinsey & Company. At Instamart, he will oversee commercial operations spanning growth, category management and brand partnerships, the company added. “Gautam brings deep expertise and a proven track record of scaling businesses in dynamic, fast-paced industries, and his leadership will be beneficial as we continue to deliver unparalleled convenience to consumers,” said Girish Menon, CHRO, Swiggy. Instamart said the hire is part of a wider strengthening of its leadership, which has also added Srikar Adavi as vice-president, ad monetisation, and Hardeep Kaur as associate vice-president, category (FMCG). The appointment comes as Instamart fights to hold its ground in a crowded quick commerce market. It ranks third by order volumes, behind Blinkit and Zepto, though it frequently trades the second spot with Zepto on net merchandise value.