India, June 17 -- With recent reports suggesting that Zepto's IPO may be pushed to 2026, cofounder and CEO Aadit Palicha has implied that the delay is not due to a lack of readiness but because of a private funding opportunity.

Palicha told ET that the company has not filed the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) as per its earlier 2025 plan because Zepto is focused on strengthening its growth, profitability and domestic ownership.

"The only reason why we've not filed immediately is because we're in a position where it looks like - given the company is on [a] growth and profitability [path] - we'll have a significant increase in our domestic ownership. We still have about INR 7,000 crore of cash in bank, but our thought process is that,...