Deepinder Goyal Steps Down As Eternal CEO, Blinkit Chief Albinder Dhindsa Named Successor

Deepinder Goyal has stepped down as the group chief executive officer of Eternal Ltd with immediate effect, transitioning into the role of vice chairman of the company he founded nearly 18 years ago. Taking over the top executive position is Albinder Dhindsa, the chief executive of Blinkit and a long-time associate of Goyal, who will now be responsible for leading Eternal’s daily operations and business execution.

In a letter addressed to shareholders, Goyal explained that his decision was driven by a growing interest in pursuing new ideas that involve higher levels of risk and experimentation. He noted that such initiatives are better explored outside the framework of a publicly listed company. According to him, Eternal needs to remain focused, disciplined, and aligned with growth opportunities that fit within its existing business scope, something that requires undivided attention from its CEO.

Goyal acknowledged that while he could technically continue managing his current responsibilities alongside exploring new ventures, the legal and governance expectations attached to leading a public company in India demand singular focus. The leadership change, he said, allows Eternal to stay sharply concentrated on its priorities while giving him the flexibility to work on ideas that fall outside the company’s risk profile.

Under the new structure, the responsibility for operational decision-making will rest squarely with Albinder Dhindsa. As group CEO, Dhindsa will oversee execution, operational priorities, and business strategy across the company. Goyal praised Dhindsa’s track record, particularly highlighting Blinkit’s journey from acquisition to breakeven under his leadership, crediting him with building a strong team, supply chain, and operating culture. He described Dhindsa as a battle-tested founder whose execution capabilities make him well-suited to lead Eternal into its next phase.

Despite stepping aside from the CEO role, Goyal stressed that his commitment to Eternal remains unchanged. He will continue to play an active role in shaping long-term strategy, organisational culture, leadership development, and governance. He also underlined that the company’s decentralised structure will continue, with individual business heads retaining autonomy, and confirmed that Blinkit will remain the company’s largest growth driver under Dhindsa’s leadership.

On the financial front, Goyal said his interests remain closely tied to the company’s long-term success. As part of the transition, all his unvested employee stock options will return to the ESOP pool, a move aimed at strengthening future leadership incentives and retention without adding shareholder dilution.

Reflecting on Eternal’s journey, Goyal said the company had grown far beyond what once seemed possible, evolving from a simple idea into a large organisation impacting millions of customers and livelihoods across India. He expressed confidence that the leadership change would not slow the company’s momentum but instead reinforce its institutional strength. Calling the move a change in title rather than commitment, Goyal reiterated that Eternal remains his life’s work and that his long-term vision for the company remains firmly intact.