Ayyappan Rajagopal, the senior vice president and the CEO of Cleartrip, has announced his departure from Flipkart Group, the e-commerce giant said on Thursday. Rajagopal, who joined the company in 2010, will pursue other opportunities outside the group.
Ayyappan’s journey at Flipkart Group
Rajagopal started his career at Flipkart as a category manager and rose through the ranks to become the head of the smartphones and consumer electronics categories. He was instrumental in driving the growth and profitability of these segments, which are among the most competitive and lucrative in the online retail space.
He was also responsible for launching and scaling some of the most popular and innovative products and services for Flipkart, such as the Big Billion Days, the Flipkart SmartBuy, and the Flipkart Plus loyalty program.
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Ayyappan’s achievements and challenges
In 2020, Rajagopal took over the leadership of Cleartrip, the online travel platform that Flipkart acquired in April 2021. He successfully integrated Cleartrip into the Flipkart ecosystem and led the recovery of the travel business amid the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also oversaw the expansion of Cleartrip’s offerings to include new categories such as hotels, activities, and experiences. He also leveraged Flipkart’s technology and customer base to enhance Cleartrip’s user experience and reach.
Ayyappan has been an integral part of the Flipkart leadership group and has had a significant impact on the development of the Indian e-commerce sector. He has built and scaled some of the most important categories for Flipkart and has been a mentor and a friend to many of us.
We are grateful for his dedication and commitment to the Flipkart Group and we wish him all the success in his next venture,” Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said in a statement.
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Ayyappan’s future plans
Rajagopal said that he is looking forward to exploring new avenues and challenges in his career. He said that he has always been passionate about solving complex problems and creating value for customers and stakeholders.
“I can’t wait to start a new journey and apply my knowledge and experience to new opportunities and domains”. I have a keen interest in the startup ecosystem and the consumer tech space, and I hope to contribute to the growth and innovation of these sectors in India and beyond,” he said.
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He also thanked Flipkart Group for giving him the opportunity to work with some of the best minds in the industry. He said that he is proud of what he and his team have achieved together in the last 11 years and that he will always cherish the learnings and the friendships that he has made here.
Flipkart Group said that it will announce the successor for Rajagopal’s role at Cleartrip in due course. The company also said that it will continue to invest in and grow its travel business, which is a strategic part of its super app vision.
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