Harsh Chaudhary, former Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of monetisation at Meesho, the low-price e-commerce platform, has departed from the firm to join Flipkart, a direct competitor of Meesho. Chaudhary’s move follows his two-year tenure at Meesho and marks a significant addition to Flipkart’s leadership team.
As per media reports, Chaudhary’s departure adds to a string of high-profile exits from Meesho in recent months. In January of this year, Utkrishta Kumar, the former Chief Experience Officer (CXO) of Business, left to establish his fintech venture, as previously reported by Moneycontrol. Subsequently, Meesho’s Chief Product Officer (CPO), Kirti Varun Avasarala, also resigned after a four-year stint, although his next career move remains undisclosed.
All three executives, including Chaudhary, Kumar, and Avasarala, reported directly to Meesho’s co-founder and CEO, Vidit Aatrey.
Chaudhary’s transition to Flipkart marks his second stint at a Flipkart group company. Previously, he served at Myntra, another direct competitor of Meesho, as Director of Category Management and Strategy from August 2016 to February 2019.
With over 13 years of professional experience, Chaudhary has held positions at esteemed organisations such as McKinsey and Disney+ Hotstar.
At Flipkart, Chaudhary assumes the role of Vice President (VP) of Customer. In this capacity, he will oversee customer growth strategies, encompassing user acquisition and retention initiatives. Additionally, Chaudhary will spearhead Flipkart’s video commerce unit, as indicated by his LinkedIn profile.
Chaudhary’s transition comes at a pivotal moment as both Flipkart and Meesho, alongside competitors like Amazon, vie for a larger share of the e-commerce market. Currently, Flipkart leads the space with a market share of 48 per cent, boasting a gross merchandise value (GMV) of approximately USD 29 billion in FY23, surpassing Meesho’s GMV of over USD 5 billion.
Despite Meesho’s rapid growth, fueled by its strategic focus on Tier 2+ cities and innovative zero-commission model, Flipkart maintains its dominance in the e-commerce landscape. Meesho’s revenue growth and reduction in losses in the previous fiscal year underscore its resilience and potential in the competitive market.
While Meesho’s revenue surged by 77 per cent from FY22 to FY23, its losses halved during the same period. Although the company has yet to file its final results with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), its performance reflects its ability to navigate challenges and drive sustainable growth amidst industry competition.
