'Temple' behind Deepinder Goyal’s resignation as Eternal CEO? Netizens wonder

Deepinder Goyal had created quite a stir earlier this month after appearing in a podcast sporting a Temple gadget. (Image credit: Raj Shamani/YouTube)

Deepinder Goyal’s decision to step down as group CEO of Eternal from February 1, has set off a flurry of speculation online, with several users on X linking the move to his growing focus on Temple, the hardware and wearables startup he founded outside the listed company. While Goyal has cited the need to pursue “higher‑risk exploration and experimentation” beyond Eternal’s public‑market constraints, social media reactions suggest many see Temple as a key subtext behind the timing of his exit.

In a regulatory filing on January 21, Eternal said founder Deepinder Goyal would resign as CEO and managing director with effect from February 1, subject to shareholder approval, and move to the role of vice chairman, while Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa takes over as group CEO. In a detailed letter to shareholders, Goyal said he had recently felt drawn to ideas involving “significantly higher‑risk exploration and experimentation” that are “better pursued outside a public company like Eternal.”

He stressed that these ideas do not fall within Eternal’s strategic scope and that the expectations—legal and otherwise—of being a CEO of a listed company demand singular focus.

'Now, all the Temple product PR makes sense': Netizens

Soon after the announcement, reactions on X began drawing a straight line from Temple to Goyal’s resignation. One user wrote, "Deepinder Goyal stepping down was not on my list for 2026.

Though now, when I look back, all the Temple product PR makes sense." He was referring to all the buzz Goyal created when he participated in a podcast with a tiny and shiny device stuck to the side of his temple that was facing the camera. After the appearance went viral, Goyal clarified that the device, a Temple product, was a prototype and wasn't for sale.

But the secrecy around it has tempted more users to question whether Temple was the reason behind the sudden leadership change at Eternal. Many X users found the development "interesting". "He seems to be focusing all his energies on expansion -- Temple, LAT Aerospace," one commented.

Temple, Pixxel, and ‘ideas outside Eternal’

Moneycontrol has previously reported that Goyal has been spending increasing amounts of time raising capital and building ventures outside Eternal. In December, it reported that he was raising about $50 million for Temple, his wearables startup, from early investors of Zomato. He is also expected to personally lead a fresh funding round in space‑tech firm Pixxel and is involved in other projects such as Continue, a longevity‑focused research arm, and LAT Aerospace.

A founder stepping back, not away

Despite online conjecture, Goyal has positioned the transition as a shift of operational control rather than an exit. He has said his involvement in long‑term strategy, culture, leadership development, and governance will continue, while day‑to‑day execution moves to Dhindsa, whom he described as a “battle‑hardened founder” whose execution ability “far exceeds mine.”

Goyal added that Eternal “remains my life’s work” and that his financial future remains closely tied to the company, even as he steps away from day‑to‑day execution.