Synopsis
Tirumala joined BigBasket in 2014 and was most recently its chief buying and merchandising officer. He has also overseen sourcing, category management and private labels. BigBasket said its private-label business now contributes nearly 40% of total sales.Listen to this article in summarized format
Tirumala joined BigBasket in 2014 and was most recently its chief buying and merchandising officer. He has also overseen sourcing, category management and private labels. BigBasket said its private-label business now contributes nearly 40% of total sales. Tirumala also helped build the company’s direct-farmer sourcing network through collection centres and farm partnerships.
Playing catch-up
In his new role, Tirumala will lead operations and execution across Bigbasket, which has been sharpening its quick commerce play in an effort to reduce the yawning gap it has with Eternal-owned Blinkit, Swiggy's Instamart and Zepto. Moreover, Flipkart's Minutes and Amazon Now have also raised their quick commerce game recently as the ecommerce platforms see it as their growth engine. Bigbasket currently has a mid-single digit market share in quick commerce, which is dominated by Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart.
For Bigbasket, Tirumala’s elevation comes as quick commerce is increasingly evolving around assortment, dark-store productivity, sourcing depth, private labels and tighter inventory management, areas where Bigbasket has historically had strengths but now needs to convert into faster growth.
Disappointing performance
The operating reset is happening alongside a broader leadership transition at Bigbasket. ET reported last year that founders Hari Menon and Vipul Parekh were preparing to step back from day-to-day roles as Tata Group considered bringing in a professional CEO. The discussions came nearly five years after Tata Digital acquired a majority stake in BigBasket in 2021. Menon, however, had denied the claims.
Last year, ET reported that Tata Sons had pulled up Tata Digital over BigBasket’s slower response to the sector, after rivals gained market share in a category that has become one of the fastest-growing parts of online retail.
BigBasket’s numbers also show the pressure on the business. According to Tata Sons’ FY25 annual report, turnover at its business-to-consumer arm, Innovative Retail Concepts, fell 3% to Rs 7,673 crore, while losses widened to Rs 1,851 crore from Rs 1,267 crore in the previous year. The business-to-business unit, Supermarket Grocery Supplies, saw turnover decline 7% to Rs 2,227 crore during the year.
