Flipkart names ex-Google executive Balaji Thiagarajan as chief product and technology officer

Walmart-owned Flipkart on Wednesday said it has appointed veteran technologist Balaji Thiagarajan as its new chief product and technology officer (CPTO), according to an internal memo shared with employees.

Thiagarajan, who has held senior roles at Google, Microsoft, Uber, and Yahoo, takes over from Jeyandran Venugopal, who left earlier this year to join Reliance Retail. He will oversee Flipkart’s core technology teams and report directly to CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy.

News website Moneycontrol was the first to report on the development.

Thiagarajan brings over 25 years of experience and holds nine US patents. His career has spanned what the memo called “the most significant technological movements of the last two decades, including the rise of cloud and mobile ecosystems, as well as the advent of big data and AI.”

Most recently, he was the founder and CEO of Kasu.ai, a US startup that built AI strategies to automate business processes. He also holds degrees from the University of Pune, Syracuse University, and an MBA from the Wharton School.

As part of the leadership reshuffle, Thiagarajan will also take over responsibilities from Bharath Reddy, Senior Vice President of Flipkart, who is moving to Walmart. 

Broader hiring push

Thiagarajan’s entry follows a string of senior appointments and a wider hiring drive at Flipkart. The ecommerce giant has recruited Eric Lange, a former Yahoo executive, to head product management for customer experience, and Rishi Vasudev, a veteran of Calvin Klein India and Arvind Brands, to lead its fashion category. 

It has also tapped Parameswaran Balakrishnan as VP of HR for supply chain, and Ambarish Kenghe, co-founder of Google Chromecast, to head product management at Myntra, its fashion subsidiary.

In May, Flipkart announced plans to hire around 5,000 new employees in 2025, with a focus on quick commerce, fintech, engineering, and AI roles. 

The expansion includes staffing for its quick-delivery service Flipkart Minutes and fintech arm Super.money. The company will sharply increase investments in AI as it modernises its technology infrastructure and prepares for its next phase of growth.

Leadership turnover

The hiring spree comes amid turnover at the top. Ankit Jain, a senior vice president, recently left Flipkart to join Swiggy’s Instamart business as SVP, overseeing operations and supply chain. Venugopal’s exit earlier this year added to the reshuffle that paved the way for Thiagarajan’s appointment.

Together, these moves reflect Flipkart’s effort to strengthen its bench of technology and product leaders while scaling operations in emerging areas such as AI, quick commerce, and fintech.