Info Edge (India) Ltd, the owner of Naukri.com, is reshaping its leadership, with founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani set to return to an executive role as managing director and group chief executive officer after Hitesh Oberoi steps down from the top operating job following nearly 27 years with the company.
Oberoi will relinquish his positions as managing director and CEO at the close of business on December 2, the company said in a stock exchange filing on Wednesday. He will become a non-executive, non-independent director from December 3, subject to shareholder approval.
Bikhchandani, currently the company’s founder and vice chairman, will take over as executive vice chairman, managing director and group CEO from the same date, also subject to shareholder approval. His appointment is scheduled to run until April 26, 2031, in line with his existing shareholder-approved term.
The transition places the founder back at the centre of executive leadership as Info Edge looks to build on its established internet businesses, expand newer platforms and continue investing in India’s start-up ecosystem.
Oberoi said he had decided to step back after careful consideration, having helped build the company over almost three decades, including more than 16 years as its chief executive.
“Info Edge has been a defining part of my life, and I feel enormous gratitude and pride when I look back at what we have built together,” he said in his resignation letter.
He said the company had reached important milestones across its businesses and developed a leadership team capable of taking on greater responsibility.
Naukri.com, the company’s flagship recruitment platform, has established an artificial intelligence and data strategy to support its next phase of growth, Oberoi said. Property platform 99acres has strengthened its market position and become a cash-generating business, while Jeevansathi and Aisle have become profitable and Jobhai has developed a monetisation engine, he added.
“If there is one thing I am most proud of, it is the quality of the team we have built at Info Edge,” Oberoi said, citing the depth of experience among senior executives and the readiness of younger leaders to assume greater responsibility.
He said he wanted to devote more time to higher education, entrepreneurship, investing, philanthropy and his family, while remaining available to advise the company in his board role.
The transition marks a change in the division of responsibilities between two executives who have worked together for more than 27 years to build Info Edge into one of India’s leading consumer internet companies.
“Hitesh and I have built Info Edge together for more than 27 years,” Bikhchandani said. “He has been an extraordinary partner and much of what Info Edge is today reflects his leadership, judgement and the exceptional team he has built..
Bikhchandani said he would continue to rely on Oberoi’s guidance even after the latter leaves his full-time operating role.
The board also praised Oberoi’s contribution to the company’s expansion. Chairman Kapil Kapoor said his focus on execution and ability to provide strategic direction through competitive and economic cycles had been important drivers of growth.
During Oberoi’s 16 years as CEO, Info Edge’s market capitalisation increased from about ₹2,500 crore to approximately ₹80,000 crore, according to the company’s press release.
Bikhchandani’s expanded role brings the founder’s entrepreneurial experience and long-term investment perspective more directly into the company’s executive leadership. Kapoor said the founder’s understanding of Info Edge’s businesses, culture and values would be valuable as it enters its next phase of growth.
Founded around its recruitment business, Info Edge has expanded into property listings, matrimony, education and blue-collar recruitment through platforms including Naukri, 99acres, Jeevansathi, Shiksha and Jobhai. It has also used cash generated by its operating businesses to invest in India’s start-up ecosystem, building a portfolio that has included stakes in companies that subsequently became independently listed.
Oberoi said the strength of the operating businesses had allowed Info Edge to evolve into an important investor in and supporter of Indian startups. His departure from day-to-day management therefore comes at a time when the company’s role extends beyond running its consumer internet platforms to allocating capital across a wider investment portfolio.
The leadership change does not mark Oberoi’s complete departure from Info Edge. His continued presence on the board, subject to shareholder approval, is intended to preserve institutional knowledge and provide continuity during the transition.
The company has not announced any accompanying changes to its business strategy or operating structure. The appointments remain subject to shareholder approval.
Published on October 28, 2026
