Ola Group's Chief People Officer Balachandar N Steps Down After Four Years

Ola Group’s Chief People Officer, Balachandar N, exited the company in early November after a nearly four-year tenure, as per media reports. 

Initially joining Ola Electric in May 2021 as Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), Balachandar played a pivotal role during the company’s launch of its first electric scooters and its IPO process earlier this year. 

Later, he was elevated to CHRO of the Ola Group, overseeing Ola Electric, ride-hailing service Ola Consumer, and AI startup Krutrim. 

Balachandar stated he has "more or less retired" and has since founded Quickleap Management Consultants, aimed at supporting entrepreneurs with scaling, fundraising, and strategic execution. Ola declined to comment on the departure.

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Balachandar's exit is part of a trend of high-profile leadership changes at Ola. In October, Pramendra Tomar, Secretary and Compliance Officer at Ola Electric, resigned, and in September, Sidharth Shakdher, Chief Business Officer of Ola Consumer, left after nine months to join Paytm. 

The trend mirrors broader executive churn in the Indian startup space, with notable exits such as Zepto’s HR head, Dinesh Gomez, and BharatPe’s Smriti Handa.

Ola Electric has also been restructuring, impacting 450–500 employees, as it focuses on improving margins and achieving profitability. However, the company reported an increased net loss of ₹495 crore for the quarter ending September 30, 2024, compared to ₹324 crore in the previous quarter.

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