Karthik Gurumurthy, the Head/Senior Vice President at a well-known grocery delivery platform, has decided to step down and take a leave. Gurumurthy, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, played a significant role in establishing the business. He decided to step down and shared his experience building Instamart in a lengthy LinkedIn post.

Karthik has been in charge of the Instamart business since August 2020. In a recent social media post, he shared a memory from three years ago when he was driving from Mumbai to Hyderabad. The roads were empty due to the COVID pandemic, and his journey lasted around 11 hours. During this time, he reflected on the challenges he would face in his new role. He had no prior experience working in an e-commerce or tech company, nor had he ever led a business from scratch.

Gurumurthy spoke about the challenges of keeping stores open during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the second wave in India. 

He shared his experience and the difficulties he faced in managing the business during these trying times. He expressed his humility at the fact that the business has grown to almost a billion dollars, and he feels proud to have been a part of this achievement.

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Gurumurthy has disclosed his plan to take a break from work and return with renewed energy to build something from scratch. He expressed his love for the journey he has been a part of but also acknowledged the challenges it has brought, including compromising his physical and mental well-being. He intends to take a sabbatical to rest and recharge before starting a new venture, which he hopes will be a source of fulfillment and joy for him.

Phani Kishan Addepalli, co-founder of Swiggy, will take over as the new leader of Instamart, succeeding the outgoing executive. Gurumurthy expressed his confidence in Addepalli, referring to him as a great leader and co-founder who will elevate the business to the next level.

Karthik Gurumurthy is a graduate of computer science engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani. He also holds an MBA from IIM-B. He is a seasoned professional who began his career at DaimlerChrysler Research Center India in 2004. Over the years, he has worked with some of the world’s leading organizations, including Oracle, AT Kearney, Mondelez International, and Cipla Health.