Quick commerce war expands into battle for leadership talent

Amid a raging battle for supremacy in the quick-commerce space, an equally fierce war for leadership talent is playing out between new entrants and incumbents alike. Poaching is rampant and Rs 2-3 crore salaries plus millions in stocks are on offer for top talent as the likes of Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, Blinkit and Flipkart focus on beefing up their leadership teams in the face of intensifying competition, recruiters and industry folks said.

Anshuman Das, CEO of executive search firm LONGHOUSE Consulting, expects the market to get even more competitive given that the likes of Reliance Retail’s JioMart and DMart are also going to want a piece of the action. “Everyone is doubling down on quick commerce. While incumbents will fight to defend their territory and gain market share, new entrants can be more innovative,” he said. “In all this, senior talent will play a key role in driving the strategy.”

While vice presidents can get upwards of Rs 2 crore in annual compensation, for SVPs it can be Rs 3 crore and more, Das said. The stock component can range between $1-3 million and even upwards of $5 million for specific and proven talent at the CXO level, he said.

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