IIM-A alumnus, Amazon veteran: Who is BigBasket's new CEO Amit Nanda?

BigBasket co-founder Hari Menon has stepped down as chief executive officer, with the Tata-owned online grocery platform appointing Amazon executive Amit Nanda as its new CEO.

The company announced on June 16 that Nanda, who most recently served as Director of Selling Partner Services at Amazon, will take over after spending more than 11 years at the e-commerce giant.

Menon and fellow co-founder Vipul Parekh will continue on the board and mentor the new leadership team.

"Having built bigbasket from its inception to its current position as one of India's most trusted consumer platforms, I am delighted to welcome Amit as CEO," Menon said. "His deep understanding of consumers, strong track record of building and scaling businesses, and extensive experience across e-commerce and consumer sectors make him uniquely positioned to lead bigbasket for its journey ahead." 

Nanda's move comes at a significant moment for both companies. His departure from Amazon coincides with the e-commerce giant's push into quick commerce through Amazon Now.

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Who is Amit Nanda?

Nanda brings more than two decades of experience across e-commerce, consumer goods and consumer banking, including leadership stints at Amazon, Hindustan Unilever and Citibank. He is a mechanical engineering graduate from Delhi College of Engineering and holds a postgraduate management degree from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (1999–2001). 

At Amazon India, he served as Director, Selling Partner Services and led one of the company's largest businesses, overseeing its third-party marketplace ecosystem. During his 11-year stint at Amazon, Nanda held multiple leadership roles across marketplace, product, technology, and private brands. 

Before taking charge of Selling Partner Services, he played a key role in building and scaling Amazon's owned brands portfolio across categories. Prior to Amazon, he held leadership positions at Hindustan Unilever and Citibank, building experience across consumer businesses, brand strategy, marketing and digital commerce.

According to BigBasket, Nanda's experience in building customer-centric businesses at scale and managing large marketplace ecosystems will be central to the company's next phase of growth as it looks to strengthen its position in quick commerce and accelerate innovation across its businesses.

Nanda said he was looking forward to building on BigBasket's position in the market. "I am incredibly excited to join bigbasket and build upon the phenomenal trust it has established with millions of consumers across India. Combining bigbasket's customer-first values with the trusted legacy of the Tata Group creates a strong foundation for the future," he said.

"I have deep admiration for the organization Hari and the team have built - particularly its powerhouse private labels. I look forward to partnering closely with Hari and the entire leadership team to drive our shared vision and capture the massive growth opportunities before us."

Earlier this month, BigBasket elevated Seshu Kumar Tirumala to the role of chief operating officer. Tirumala, who joined BigBasket in 2014 as National Head – Buying & Merchandising, now leads operations and is tasked with driving execution as the company expands its quick-commerce business.

Welcoming Nanda, Tata Digital CEO and Managing Director Sajith Sivanandan said his experience made him well-suited to lead the company through its next phase. "I am pleased to welcome Amit to bigbasket and the Tata Digital Group. His experience in leading large-scale businesses and driving product and technology strategy across critical marketplace capabilities combined with his deep understanding of digital commerce and consumer behaviour, makes him an excellent choice to lead Bigbasket," Sivanandan said.