Apna Mart, backed by Accel and Peak XV Partners, has reduced its workforce by around 10% as it integrates AI into business operations and shifts its base from Bengaluru to Gurugram, according to people aware of the developments who requested anonymity. Subsequently, the company confirmed the layoffs.
In an internal email sent to employees, the company stated, “…your role has been impacted as part of our transition from Bangalore to base locations.” Furthermore, it confirmed that affected employees will receive severance pay equivalent to two months of their salaries.
In response to queries, the company said, “This is part of a broader organisational restructuring where we are aligning teams closer to our core markets. We had to let go of the employees for whom relocation wasn’t possible. At the same time, some roles are simply no longer needed because the work is now handled by AI.” Notably, the 10% workforce reduction translates to approximately 35–40 employees across multiple verticals.
Meanwhile, Apna Mart has decided to base its product and technology teams in Gurugram. Currently, the company operates across 10 cities in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, where it maintains operational teams. The company said, “We have historically operated and executed from these cities, and this move is in line with that approach.”
Founded by Abhishek Singh and Chetan Garg, Apna Mart operates on a franchisee model and delivers groceries within 10 minutes in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Additionally, it follows an omnichannel approach that allows customers to purchase groceries both in-store and online. At present, the company operates approximately 185–195 stores, positioning itself strongly in the evolving quick commerce India and online grocery delivery segments.
However, Apna Mart faces intense competition from established quick commerce players such as Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto. Blinkit currently leads the market with 2,243 dark stores as of March, while Instamart operates 1,034 dark stores as of December 2025, and Zepto maintains around 1,050–1,100 stores as of March. These companies primarily rely on a dark store and delivery-only model.
In contrast, Apna Mart adopts an omnichannel model similar to Reliance JioMart, combining physical retail stores with online ordering. Moreover, the competitive landscape has intensified as e-commerce giants Amazon (through Now) and Flipkart (through Minutes) have entered the quick commerce segment and expanded aggressively over the past year.
From a financial perspective, Apna Mart reported a net loss of Rs 75.8 crore on revenue of Rs 190 crore for FY25, according to its filings with the Registrar of Companies. Nevertheless, the company claimed it achieved 2.5x growth in FY26 and closed the year with Rs 500 crore in revenue. However, it did not disclose its profitability figures, and it has not yet officially released its FY26 financial results.
Overall, Apna Mart’s decision to implement layoffs reflects a broader shift across the AI-driven startups, retail tech, and quick commerce sectors, where companies increasingly adopt automation while optimising operational costs and geographic strategy.
