Aadit Palicha

Aadit Palicha
File:Aadit Palicha.jpg
Born	January 15, 2001 (age 24)
Birthplace	Mumbai, India
Nationality	Indian
Citizenship	India
Alma mater	GEMS Education, Stanford University (dropped out)
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Known for	Co-founder & CEO of Zepto
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Parents	Kavit Palicha (father), Urvashi Palicha (mother)
Relatives	Ishaan Palicha (brother)
Awards	Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2022), IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List (2022)
Website	zeptonow.com

Aadit Palicha is an Indian entrepreneur and the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zepto, one of India’s fastest-growing quick-commerce grocery delivery platforms. Known for pioneering the 10-minute grocery delivery model, Palicha has emerged as a dynamic face in India’s startup ecosystem, receiving acclaim for his innovation, execution, and leadership at a young age.

Early Life and Education

Born on January 15, 2001, in Mumbai, Aadit Palicha spent a significant part of his early life in Dubai. He studied at GEMS Education and completed his International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma in Mathematics and Computer Science, achieving a perfect score of 45/45. During his school years, he served as deputy head boy and president of the Modern Debating Society.

He enrolled at Stanford University to study Computer Science but dropped out to pursue entrepreneurship, eventually co-founding Zepto with his childhood friend Kaivalya Vohra.

Career

In 2018, Palicha and Vohra co-founded GoPool, a ride-sharing app designed for school transportation in Dubai. The project was supported by Emirates NBD and aimed at solving traffic congestion through parent-led carpooling.

From July 2019 to March 2020, he worked as the Project Lead at PryvaSee, an AI-based initiative that summarized privacy policies for user awareness.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Palicha returned to Mumbai from Stanford. During the lockdown, he and Vohra launched KiranaKart, a 45-minute grocery delivery app. After facing challenges with market fit, they pivoted to build Zepto in April 2021.

Zepto introduced a 10-minute delivery promise for groceries and essentials, which quickly gained popularity. Within the first month, it was valued at $200 million. By the end of 2021, Zepto had:

• Managed 1 million+ orders
• Partnered with 86 grocery retailers
• Achieved a valuation of $570 million within five months

Investors such as Y Combinator, Nexus Venture Partners, Glade Brook Capital, and Global Founders Capital backed Zepto early on. Prominent angel investors including Lachy Groom and Neeraj Arora also participated.

By 2022, Zepto’s valuation surpassed ₹7,300 crore, with operations in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Gurgaon, and Mumbai. The company continues to scale aggressively across Indian metro cities.

Awards and Recognitions

• Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2022) – Recognized for contributions to Consumer Tech and Entrepreneurship.
• IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2022 – Youngest startup founder featured.

In the Media

Aadit Palicha has been extensively covered by leading media outlets such as Business Standard, Times Now, DNA India, and News18 for his rapid rise in India’s tech and startup space. His journey from Stanford dropout to CEO of a unicorn-status startup has positioned him as a symbol of India’s new-age entrepreneurial spirit.