Akriti Chopra: Zomato’s Former Co-founder Who Shaped the Startup Giant
👨💻StartupTalkersAkriti Chopra’s journey from a Chartered Accountant to Zomato’s co-founder is truly inspiring. Discover her career growth, IPO role, achievements, and leadership story.
Akriti Chopra is one of the most influential leaders behind Zomato’s growth story. From joining as a finance professional to becoming Co-founder and Chief People Officer, her journey is a strong example of leadership, strategy, and execution in India’s startup ecosystem.
She played a key role in scaling Zomato globally and was instrumental during its IPO phase. After spending nearly 13 years at the company, she stepped down in 2024.
Akriti Chopra Biography (Quick Overview)
| Birth | 1988, Delhi, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education |
B.Com – Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi Qualified Chartered Accountant – ICAI |
| Profession | Former Co-founder and Chief People Officer – Zomato |
| Spouse | Albinder Dhindsa |
Akriti Chopra - Early Life and Education
Akriti Chopra - Career Journey, From PwC to Zomato
Akriti Chopra - Becoming the Co-founder of Zomato
Akriti Chopra - Role in Zomato IPO Success
Akriti Chopra - Zomato’s Growth and Unicorn Status
Akriti Chopra - Resignation from Zomato (2024)
Akriti Chopra - Personal Life
Akriti Chopra - Awards & Recognitions
Akriti Chopra - Early Life and Education
Akriti Chopra was born in Delhi, India, in 1988. She grew up in Gurugram with her family.
After she left Zomato, she’s been on a low profile. Her journey through Zomato has inspired many women to become successful entrepreneurs and pave the path for others.
Akriti studied in Delhi Public School in RK Puram. A known and prominent school of Delhi. In 2005, she studied at Lady Shri Ram College for Women in Delhi and received her Bachelor's degree in 2008.
With that, she also became a Chartered Accountant in 2011 and completed her articleship in PwC, Gurgaon, India.
Akriti Chopra - Career Journey, From PwC to Zomato
Akriti began her career at PwC in 2008 as an articled assistant. She worked in tax and regulatory practices for around three years.
Joining Zomato
In 2011, she joined Zomato as a Senior Manager in Finance and Operations. At that time, Zomato was still an early-stage startup.
Rapid Growth and Promotions
Due to her strong analytical and leadership skills:
- Promoted to Vice President within a year
- Became Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2019
- Led financial strategy and operations across 25+ countries
Her contribution helped Zomato build strong financial systems and scale globally.
PV Vyshnavi
Akriti Chopra - Becoming the Co-founder of Zomato
In 2020, Chopra became the Head of People Development, and after one year, in June 2021, she was promoted to Co-founder of the company. Subsequently, she was the Chief People Officer. At this stage, Zomato was about to make its initial public offering (IPO), and its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) was valued at roughly INR 149 crore.
As the CPO of Zomato, she excelled in creating policies that emphasised work-life balance and the mental health of employees. Zomato became one of the most desirable places to work for people due to its talent management approach under Chopra’s supervision.
Akriti’s management skills came into the light as she handled a workforce of over 4,000 employees, making an environment that is transparent and sustainable for the professional growth of employees.
Akriti Chopra - Role in Zomato IPO Success
In July 2021, Zomato launched its IPO worth INR 9,375 crore.
Key highlights:
- Price band: INR 72–INR 76 per share
- Listed at ~66% premium
- Subscribed 38.25 times
Akriti played an important role in structuring financial strategies and ESOP planning. At that time, Zomato’s ESOP pool was valued at around INR 149 crore.
The IPO made Zomato one of India’s most successful publicly listed startups.
Akriti Chopra - Zomato’s Growth and Unicorn Status
Under her leadership:
- Zomato expanded to 25+ countries
- Company valuation crossed INR 46,000 crore
- Became part of the global Unicorn Club
Her financial and HR strategies helped Zomato grow sustainably and build investor confidence.
Akriti Chopra - Resignation from Zomato (2024)
After working for 13 years at Zomato, Chopra decided to resign from the post of Co-founder and CPO of the company in September 2024. It was said that she wanted to follow other interests in her life other than Zomato.
This resignation left the shareholders concerned due to Zomato's acquisition of Blinkit in 2022, as Chopra is married to Blinkit's founder, Albinder Dhindsa. It was speculated that major conflicts can arise in decision-making and operations.
Rishabh Rathi
Akriti Chopra - Personal Life
Akriti Chopra is married to Albinder Dhindsa, co-founder of Blinkit. Despite being a public figure, she maintains a low profile after leaving Zomato.
Her journey continues to inspire many women entrepreneurs in India.
Akriti Chopra - Awards & Recognitions
- Akriti Chopra was listed in Forbes India’s ’30 Under 30′ list in 2017.
- In 2018, she received the “Women of the Year” award.
- Known as one of the top women leaders in Indian Start-ups by Financial Express
- She was honoured as a Change maker in HR leadership for playing an innovative role at Zomato
- She is known as one of the influential and key figures behind Zomato’s involvement in the Global Unicorn Club
Conclusion
Akriti Chopra’s journey from a Chartered Accountant to Co-founder of Zomato highlights the importance of strong leadership, financial discipline, and people-centric growth.
Her role in Zomato’s IPO, global expansion, and culture building makes her one of the most important figures in India’s startup ecosystem.
FAQs
Who is Akriti Chopra?
Akriti Chopra is the former Co-founder and Chief People Officer of Zomato.
What is Akriti Chopra’s qualification?
She is a Chartered Accountant and holds a B.Com degree from Lady Shri Ram College.
When did Akriti Chopra join Zomato?
She joined Zomato in 2011 as a Senior Manager in Finance and Operations.
Why did Akriti Chopra leave Zomato?
She resigned in 2024 to explore new interests and opportunities.