The Morning Brief Corner Office Conversation with Vipul Parekh, Co - Founder of BigBasket
Sep 1, 2025
Vipul Parekh, co-founder of BigBasket and a seasoned investor in retail, shares fascinating insights on India's online grocery landscape. He discusses BigBasket's bold strategies for the festive season amid the quick commerce boom. Topics include competition with giants like Swiggy and Amazon, the significance of dark stores, and expansion plans into new categories like electronics and beauty. Parekh also addresses the challenges of achieving profitability in a rapidly evolving market backed by the Tata Group.
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IPO Timing Is Board-Driven
- BigBasket has no fixed IPO timeline and sees an IPO as board-timed, not urgent.
- Vipul Parekh expects readiness in roughly 18–24 months depending on board decision.
Rapid Growth Justifies Early Heavy Investment
- Quick commerce is in rapid growth with multi-year high CAGRs that justify heavy near-term investment.
- Parekh believes the sector will be profitable longer term and become one of India's largest consumer businesses.
Profitability Hinges On Scale And Store Mix
- Profitability depends on scale, competition intensity, and customer-acquisition spend.
- Parekh notes many QC players already show profitability in a large share of their best-performing stores.