KiranaPro’s week of chaos: Code wiped, salaries delayed, and a founder’s reckoning

KiranaPro’s week of chaos: Code wiped, salaries delayed, and a founder’s reckoning

Grocery-tech startup KiranaPro has had a week unlike any other – marked by a code wipe that crippled its app, simmering employee grievances over unpaid dues, and a founder publicly reckoning with his own missteps.

At the centre of it all is CEO and founder Deepak Ravindran, who admits that the startup is in damage-control mode, but insists that it's not shutting down. “What is happening now is course correction,” he told Moneycontrol.

The Bengaluru-based startup, which pitches itself as an AI-powered, ONDC-integrated quick commerce platform, initially described a major outage last week as a data breach. But earlier this week, Ravindran clarified on LinkedIn that it wasn’t a hack, it was caused by a disgruntled former employee who allegedly deleted critical internal code and logs, including data powering KiranaPro’s customer-facing app.

The incident occurred around May 24–25, shortly after the employee was let go. Ravindran called it an “internal breach” and said disciplinary action had been initiated. The company, he said, was forced to rebuild its core systems.

“We raised almost Rs 2 crore in funding to build that product from the ground up. Now we’re writing the code as we speak,” he said, adding that the app should be functional again within 48 hours.

Salaries delayed, investors watching

But the tech setback wasn’t the only crisis. Media reports have detailed how several current and former employees have gone without pay for weeks or months. The CapTable was the first to report on these salary delays. Screenshots reviewed by Moneycontrol show unanswered emails and vague responses to final dues requests.

Ravindran did not dispute the issue. “Some of the employees did not get their salaries on time, because we did not process the payments and internal approvals on schedule. It is my mistake, and I again apologize for it,” he said. “We have just hired a CFO three weeks ago, and are fixing things step by step.”

He added that most dues for current employees were partially cleared on June 5, and nearly all former employees have been paid.

This was made possible after the company secured a seed funding round featuring a new slate of investors, including PV Sindhu, who has also come on board as a brand ambassador.

The company had originally planned to raise Rs 10 crore in this round, following its earlier pre-seed raise of Rs 1.5 crore in December 2024 from Blume Founders Fund, Unpopular Ventures, and other angels. However, sources familiar with the matter said that only a portion of the new funds has been wired so far, enabling the company to cover partial dues and resume operations in the interim.

Concerns have also been raised about Ravindran’s erratic firing practices. As reported by The Morning Context, one employee was fired over WhatsApp after taking sick leave, and immediately removed from company groups. The publication also reviewed Slack and WhatsApp messages that suggest employees who missed deadlines or questioned decisions were abruptly let go.

Founder takes the fall

Ravindran has been unusually open about his own missteps. “The problem is not with the product or the idea. The problem is with me,” he said.

In a recent post on X, he apologised for exhibiting what he called “god-mode behaviour,” and told Moneycontrol that he is considering whether a professional CEO should replace him. “This is my fourth startup and I shouldn’t work like a first-timer," he said.

He also acknowledged communication breakdowns and operational gaps. “I was the sole founder after my co-founder left. Everything was under me. We didn’t have enough checks and balances,” he added.

As per reports, KiranaPro’s co-founder, Dipankar Sarkar, had quietly exited the company earlier this year, possibly due to internal disagreements.

Not shutting down—yet

Despite the turmoil, KiranaPro is pressing forward. On May 30, it announced the acquisition of AR startup Likeo.me, which will be merged with its fashion commerce vertical, BLACK. That deal follows the February acquisition of Joper.app, a hyperlocal grocery delivery platform.

The company claims to have processed 2,000 orders per day before the outage, and served more than 30,000 users across 50 cities. “Our largest seller used to do Rs 1 lakh in daily sales,” Ravindran said, dismissing claims from media reports that questioned these numbers.

However, the app’s store ratings remain below 3, with several users flagging bugs and poor experience – particularly with its voice-command features. Ravindran admitted that all App Store data and ratings had been wiped in the breach, and that the company was rebuilding from scratch.

“We are using the capital we’ve raised to hire and strengthen the team. There is no shutdown, just a serious course correction,” he said.

With a partial fund infusion, an app rebuild underway, and leadership changes on the table, KiranaPro is trying to steady the ship. Ravindran said the company is focused on fixing internal lapses, completing salary dues, and restoring trust – both within the team and with users. Whether that will be enough to salvage momentum remains to be seen.