Highlights
Zomato Appoints Shalin Bhatt to Lead Dining-Out Division
Foodtech and quick commerce platform Zomato has reinstated its former executive, Shalin Bhatt, to oversee its dining-out division. Bhatt previously left Zomato in 2021, but he rejoined the organisation in July of last year and has now been officially named the head of dining, taking over from Sankalp Kathuria, who resigned in the previous month.
Bhatt represents the third leader of Zomato’s dining-out division in a span of just over two years. Kathuria assumed this position in late 2022, following the departure of Aman Priyadarshi, who also exited the company at that time.
Transition to District App
These leadership shifts coincide with Zomato’s initiative to migrate its dining-out users to the newly launched District app, which aims to unify all of Zomato’s going-out services.
Experience and Previous Roles
Before rejoining Zomato, Bhatt served as an investment professional at the venture capital firm Matrix Partners India, which is now known as Z47.
Going-Out as a Standalone Vertical
In addition to its primary food delivery and quick commerce operations, Zomato has established going-out as a distinct business-to-consumer (B2C) vertical, maintaining separate financial reporting for this segment. The going-out category encompasses:
- Dining out
- Live events
- Ticketing
This area has become a significant focus for Zomato over the past year.
Key Appointments in the Going-Out Segment
The Gurugram-based firm has made several strategic appointments within its going-out sector. These include:
- Zeenah Vilcassim, appointed as CEO of Zomato Live from Bacardi
- Kunal Khambhati, a former senior executive at BookMyShow, who has taken on the role of COO at Zomato Live
After acquiring Paytm’s events and ticketing business, Zomato has brought back Rahul Ganjoo and Pradyot Ghate to facilitate the transition of customers from platforms such as Insider, TicketNew, and Paytm to District.