Tata-backed bigbasket appoints Seshu Kumar Tirumala as COO

Tata-backed bigbasket has elevated veteran executive Seshu Kumar Tirumala to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO), placing one of its longest-serving leaders at the centre of its next phase of operational expansion.

The company announced the appointment on Thursday, saying Tirumala will now lead operations and help drive execution as bigbasket continues to strengthen its quick commerce business and prepare for future growth.

The move marks a significant leadership transition for the Tata-owned online grocery platform, which has been expanding its presence across India's increasingly competitive quick commerce market.

A decade-long journey culminates in COO role

Tirumala has been with bigbasket since 2014, making him one of the company's most experienced executives. He joined as National Head of Buying and Merchandising and later rose to become Chief Buying and Merchandising Officer.

During his tenure, he played a key role in building the company's merchandising, sourcing and category management functions.

According to bigbasket, some of Tirumala's notable contributions include:

• Growing the company's private label business to nearly 40% of total sales
• Building what the company describes as the largest private label portfolio in Indian e-commerce
• Leading the development of a direct farmer sourcing network
• Helping establish agricultural sourcing infrastructure through collection centres and farm partnerships across India
• Strengthening sourcing and supply chain capabilities across the organisation

The company said his experience across sourcing, merchandising and supply chain operations positioned him for the expanded leadership role.

Leadership backs internal succession

Commenting on the appointment, Hari Menon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of bigbasket, said Tirumala had played an important role in developing several capabilities that contributed to the company's growth over the years.

Menon highlighted Tirumala's work in expanding the private label business and farmer sourcing network, adding that his understanding of the business and execution track record made him suited to lead operations at a larger scale.

The promotion also reflects bigbasket's emphasis on leadership development from within the organisation, with Tirumala becoming one of several long-serving executives to move into broader responsibilities.

Focus turns to operational execution

In his first comments following the appointment, Tirumala said his priorities would centre on strengthening operational systems across the company's farm-to-customer value chain.

He said the focus would be on improving execution across operations while ensuring customers continue to receive a reliable and seamless experience as the business expands.

The appointment comes at a time when operational efficiency, supply chain performance and fulfilment speed have become critical differentiators in India's fast-growing quick commerce sector.

Scaling for the next growth phase

bigbasket operates across more than 60 Indian cities, including Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. The company says it serves over 10 million customers and offers a catalogue of more than 30,000 products spanning groceries, fresh produce, medicines, electronics, fashion and beauty products.

Its operations are supported by a network of more than 850 dark stores, a model that has become increasingly important as consumer demand shifts towards faster delivery services.

With quick commerce competition intensifying, Tirumala's elevation places an executive with deep experience in sourcing, merchandising and supply chain management in a role that will directly influence the company's operational scale and execution strategy in the years ahead.