‘Bhai, you’re the best guy to lead’: Ashneer Grover backs Albinder Dhindsa after Deepinder Goyal’s Eternal exit

Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal has stepped down as the group chief executive officer of Eternal Ltd, handing over the role to Albinder Dhindsa, the CEO of Blinkit, with immediate effect.Albinder Dhindsa will be Eternal’s new Group CEO.In a letter addressed to shareholders, Goyal said the decision stemmed from a growing desire to explore new ideas that involve significantly higher levels of risk – pursuits he believes are better undertaken outside a led company.“Of late, I have found myself drawn to a set of new ideas that involve significantly higher-risk exploration and experimentation. These are the kinds of ideas that are better pursued outside a public company like Eternal,” Goyal wrote. He added that if these ideas fell within Eternal’s strategic scope, he would have explored them internally, but they do not.Goyal stressed that the company needs to remain focused and disciplined as it charts its next phase of growth. “Eternal deserves to remain focused, and disciplined, while exploring new areas of growth that are relevant to its current line of business,” he said.(Also Read: Why Deepinder Goyal resigned as CEO of Eternal: ‘I found myself drawn to…’)Social media reactionsThe announcement quickly triggered a wave of reactions on social media, with many users praising what they described as a mature and thoughtful leadership move.Ashneer Grover wrote, “Congrats @albidhindsa – bhai – you are the best guy to lead Eternal. Keep rocking !” “Rare to see a founder say ‘focus matters’ so clearly. Deepinder moving to strategy & governance, Albinder owning day-to-day execution, this is how mature companies scale,” one user commented.Another wrote, “It doesn’t feel like someone is being pushed out. It feels like a founder making a careful choice for the company’s next chapter.”Several others wished Goyal well for his next phase. “Wishing you and Abhijit Dhir the very best for this new chapter at Eternal! Excited to see the vision unfold and the impact this leadership move will create,” one user wrote.“Look forward to seeing your new ideas bloom. All the best for your new adventure. Only respect and admiration for you @deepigoyal,” commented another.“It’s the hardest thing to step away from something you’ve created. Courageous call. All the best @deepigoyal and amazing depth in the team to transition this to strong hands @albinder @akshant_g,” wrote one user.“Leaving a giant to start again from zero is the most founder thing ever. Excited to see what’s next,” said another.