Zepto’s CEO and co-founder Aadit Palicha revealed that the quick commerce startup is set to file its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI this year, CNBC-TV18 reported.
His comment comes amid reports claiming that the startup has deferred its IPO to 2026.
The recent Moneycontrol report noted that the company is unlikely to go public this year, even if it files its DRHP in the coming months. The IPO timeline has reportedly been extended multiple times, with internal discussions highlighting the need for stronger financial metrics before pursuing a public listing.
“That’s our ambition... of course, capital markets may change, but for now, we’re optimistic that if the business continues to perform as well, we will go public in calendar 2025,” Palicha told PTI in an interview towards the end of 2024.
However, Zepto will not go public this year, even if it files its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) in the coming months, Moneycontrol quoted the source as saying.
According to media sources, the company was planning to file for an IPO and had chosen bankers “Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Axis Capital” to pursue the listing.
Zepto Domestic Stakes
Recently, Zepto has begun boosting its domestic shareholding, bringing Motilal Oswal founders—Motilal Oswal and Raamdeo Agrawal to its cap table. The duo came on board through a $100 million secondary transaction.
Each founder has invested $50 million in the IPO-bound startup, the report said, adding that this investment is part of a larger $350 million round. The remaining amount is being raised from Motilal Oswal’s client network, including several domestic family offices, it added.
The startup’s early foreign investors are diluting their stake, offloading 10–15% of their holding. Currently, Zepto’s domestic shareholding stands at 18%, but this percentage is expected to surpass 20% after the secondary deals. It is pertinent to note that Zepto’s last funding round was also led by domestic investors.
