Brands
Uber elevates Balaji Krishnamurthy as CFO
CALIFORNIA: Uber has turned to an insider to mind the money. The ride-hailing giant has elevated Balaji Krishnamurthy as chief financial officer, tightening its grip on financial strategy as growth motors ahead.
The appointment takes effect on February 16, 2026. Krishnamurthy replaces Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, who will step down but stay on as a senior finance adviser to chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi until July 1, 2026.
Krishnamurthy is no stranger to Uber’s books. Currently vice president, strategic finance, he joined in 2019 and ran investor relations from 2020 to 2023, giving him a front-row seat to the firm’s market story.
Uber was keen to dampen any drama. Mahendra-Rajah’s departure, it said, has nothing to do with disputes over disclosures or accounting. His exit will count as a qualifying termination under the firm’s executive severance plan.
The reshuffle arrived alongside solid numbers. In the October–December quarter, trips climbed 22 per cent year on year to 3.8bn, powered by an 18 per cent rise in monthly active platform consumers. Gross bookings jumped 22 per cent to $54.1bn, while revenue rose 20 per cent to $14.4bn.
The message is clear: Uber’s engine is humming, and it wants a steady hand on the tiller. In a business built on speed, the real test is not just how fast you grow, but how well you count the fare at the end of the ride.
Brands
Zepto names Saurabh Kabra vice president for non-trade advertising
Former blinkit and ITC executive to drive Zepto’s ad-led growth
BENGALURU: Zepto has elevated Saurabh Kabra to vice president—non-trade advertising, partnerships and catalogue, underscoring the quick-commerce firm’s push to deepen high-margin revenue streams beyond deliveries.
Based in Bengaluru, Kabra will lead the strategic expansion of Zepto’s advertising and partnerships ecosystem. He was previously senior director and head of the non-trade advertising business, where he played a central role in building the company’s ad-led monetisation playbook.
Since joining Zepto, Kabra has worked closely with the chief executive’s office on strategic initiatives, contributing to the company’s rapid scale-up in India’s intensely competitive quick-commerce market. His elevation comes as platforms increasingly court brand advertising to steady margins and diversify revenue.
Before Zepto, Kabra held senior growth roles at Blinkit, serving as associate director of growth and city CEO for Hyderabad, where he led regional expansion and operational scaling.
Earlier in his career, he spent several years at ITC Limited, managing brands such as Classmate and Paperkraft and overseeing sales operations in the personal care business. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.
Industry executives view the appointment as a clear signal that Zepto is sharpening its focus on advertising, partnerships and catalogue-led monetisation: areas increasingly discussed by investors as critical to improving unit economics in quick commerce.
