Tata Digital CEO Naveen Tahilyani steps down, likely to join Prudential Plc

Naveen Tahilyani, the CEO and MD of Tata Digital has stepped own just after a year of being appointed by Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran to lead the company’s digital commerce ambitions. Tahilyani’s departure marks the exit of another top level executive. As reported by Economic Times, Hardeep Guru, the chief financial officer of Tata Digital is being considered as the frontrunner for the position. Guru is said to be a close aide of Saurabh Agarwal, Group CEO, Tata Sons. While Tahilyani’s exit from Tata Digital was abrupt, reports suggest that he is transiting to Prudential Plc, with Tata Digital undergoing strategic changes.Tahilyani’s exit comes as Tata Sons seeks leadership stability to drive execution and growth across its consumer-facing digital businesses. The Economic Times report indicate that Hardeep Guru, the current CFO of Tata Digital is being considered for the role of CEO. The report also mentions that Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran informed the staff in a town hall meeting about the exit of Tahilyani. Chandrasekaran also informed the CEO’s of Taga Digital portfolio companies about the change in the leadership.Tahilyani was tasked with reviving Tata Neu, the group’s super app launched in April 2022. Despite a 109% increase in gross merchandise value (GMV) and a user base of 140 million, Neu has struggled with cross-platform traction, contributing to less than 10% of BigBasket and 1mg’s gross sales.His tenure saw backend integration paused to preserve individual brand identities, while Tata Digital explored new revenue streams, including quick commerce under the Flash brand.Tahilyani’s departure coincides with Tata Group’s plans to raise $1.3 billion for BigBasket and 1mg, signaling a shift toward independent fundraising and IPOs for these businesses.Meanwhile, Tata Digital has renewed its IPL title sponsorship for five years, aiming to strengthen Neu’s brand presence and support new initiatives like Flash.