Zepto the fast-growing quick-commerce startup co-founded by Aadit Palicha has seen its monthly cash burn skyrocket to over Rs 300 crore ($35 million) by October. This represents a sixfold increase compared to its monthly burn rate of Rs 35-40 crore in May driven by the companys aggressive investments in scaling operations marketing and recruitment efforts according to a report by Money Control. Zepto’s CEO Aadit Palicha On Cash Burn  Zeptos cash burn surged to Rs 250 crore in September climbing to Rs 300 crore in October with expectations to remain at this level in November. This uptick comes amid Indias annual festive season a crucial period for e-commerce and quick commerce platforms.  Zeptos CEO Aadit Palicha confirmed the developments noting that more than 70% of their existing stores have reached full EBITDA profitability. However he highlighted that the increased capital outlay is being used into setting up new stores with plans to launch hundreds of additional locations each quarter.  “The capital expenditure is upfront but these new stores are showing a better EBITDA trajectory compared to older ones which gives us the confidence to invest in further expansion” Palicha explained. Who Is Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha? Founded in 2021 by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra Zepto is an enhanced version of Palichas earlier grocery venture Kiranakart. Despite its rapid cash burn Zepto continues to attract significant investor interest having raised over a billion dollars this year alone.  Aadit Palicha only 22 years old has emerged as one of Indias top young entrepreneurs ranking as the second youngest individual on the 2024 Hurun India Rich List with a net worth of Rs 4300 crore. Born in Mumbai Palicha studied computer science at Stanford University before dropping out to focus on entrepreneurship. Palicha started his business career at age 17 with the founding of GoPool.The company grew rapidly from zero to a multi-crore valuation in a few months. Zepto is competing with big grocery companies like Dunzo and Blinkit. Palicha is responsible for a variety of functions at Zepto including business strategy compliance delivery approach and expansion.  Zepto’s Rapid Expansion  The increased cash burn is largely attributed to Zeptos strategic investments in operations digital marketing and customer acquisition. The company has been aggressively bidding on keywords across platforms like Google and Meta significantly driving up the cost of digital ads. This approach has led some competitors to scale back their own spending on customer acquisition due to the high costs involved. To attract customers Zepto is also offering substantial discounts including up to Rs 4500 off on the latest iPhone models through its Super Saver wholesale unit. This strategy is aimed at pulling customers away from major competitors like Zomato-owned Blinkit Swiggy Instamart Tatas BigBasket and Flipkart Quick.