Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha Applauds Indian Tech Talent, Says It’s on Par With Global Standards
In a candid conversation on Y Combinator’s How To Build The Future podcast, Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha shared high praise for India’s tech workforce. Speaking with YC CEO Garry Tan, Palicha reflected on Zepto’s rise and how building the quick-commerce startup in India gave them access to some of the best engineering talent in the world.
Founded in 2021 by Stanford dropouts Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, Zepto has grown from a WhatsApp idea to a major grocery delivery app employing over 3,000 people. When discussing the biggest advantages of operating in India, Palicha didn’t hesitate to point to the country’s deep talent pool.
“We interviewed American engineers – and they’re exceptional – but we said hey, the guys that we have here are as good,” said Palicha, adding, “I think a lot of people underestimate that. That’s why many top internet startups open offices in Bangalore.”
He emphasized that recruiting such high-quality talent in San Francisco would have been far more difficult and competitive. “The big advantage is you just have such an incredible talent base. And although it’s very competitive, it’s still a lot less competitive to get such high-quality talent than it would be sitting in San Francisco,” he noted.
Despite Zepto’s rapid growth, Palicha was humble about the startup’s success. When asked if he considered Zepto a success story, he replied, “No, absolutely not. Not even close to it. I think we’ve got a couple of decades before we can realistically say that we’ve won.”
With a grounded perspective and a sharp eye for homegrown talent, Palicha’s remarks add weight to the growing confidence in India’s global tech potential.
