The appointment of Albinder Dhindsa as Group CEO of Eternal Ltd. has not only marked a big leadership shift at the company but has also renewed public interest in his wife, Akriti Chopra, a key figure in Zomato’s early growth story.
Eternal Ltd., the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, informed stock exchanges on January 21 that founder Deepinder Goyal would step down as Group CEO. Goyal will assume the roles of vice chairman and director, subject to shareholder approval, with Dhindsa taking over operational control from February 1, 2026.
In his letter to shareholders, Goyal said he wanted to focus on higher-risk ideas and experimentation outside the structure of a public company. He added that Eternal now needed disciplined execution and sharper focus on its core businesses, responsibilities that will now rest with Dhindsa.
Dhindsa is well known in India’s startup ecosystem. An IIT Delhi graduate with an MBA from Columbia Business School, he worked at Zomato in its early years before co-founding Grofers in 2013. The company later rebranded as Blinkit and was acquired by Zomato in 2022. Since then, Dhindsa has led Blinkit through rapid expansion, turning it into one of Eternal’s biggest growth drivers in the quick-commerce space.
Industry observers see his elevation as a sign that Eternal is entering a new phase, one focused on scale, logistics efficiency, and tighter execution across its businesses.
Who is Akriti Chopra?
Alongside Dhindsa’s rise, attention has turned to his wife, Akriti Chopra, who played a foundational role at Zomato. Born in 1988, Chopra studied at Delhi Public School, RK Puram, before earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi. She is also a qualified chartered accountant and trained with PwC in tax and regulatory practices.
Chopra joined Zomato in 2011, when the company was still in its early stages. Over nearly 13 years, she took on several leadership roles, including Chief Financial Officer in 2019. Ahead of Zomato’s IPO, she was named a co-founder and later became the company’s Chief People Officer.
Her role in building Zomato
Behind the scenes, Chopra was instrumental in building Zomato’s internal systems. She helped set up in-house legal, governance, risk, and compliance functions and supported multiple private funding rounds before the company went public. She was also involved in Zomato’s international expansion phase, even though the company later exited overseas markets.
In September 2024, Chopra resigned from Zomato to pursue other interests, marking the end of a long and influential chapter in the company’s journey.
As Albinder Dhindsa steps into the top leadership role at Eternal, his appointment reflects a passing of the baton to executives who have built the ecosystem from within. Together, Dhindsa’s operational focus and Chopra’s legacy at Zomato highlight how deeply personal and professional journeys are intertwined in India’s startup story.
