Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl, the former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BharatPe who was recently appointed as the Chief Business Officer for the merchant lending division, is reportedly preparing to leave the company in September. According to sources cited by The Economic Times, Bahl’s departure comes amid a series of significant leadership resignations within the fintech firm.
BharatPe, a prominent player in the fintech space, has been witnessing notable shifts in its executive team. The company had strategically expanded its lending operations through the acquisition of a controlling stake in Mumbai-based Trillion Loans, a non-banking financial company (NBFC), in May.
Under Bahl’s leadership, the merchant lending division has emerged as a crucial revenue source for BharatPe. The company has claimed to facilitate loans exceeding ₹500 crore monthly for its extensive network of merchant partners. Bahl’s decision to move on comes in the wake of the firm’s ongoing reshaping process following the departure of Ashneer Grover, its dynamic founder, in early 2022. Since then, a series of high-profile exits has followed, including that of co-founder Bhavik Koladiya.
Confirming Bahl’s departure, a company spokesperson stated, “We would like to confirm that Bahl is moving on from BharatPe to pursue his entrepreneurial passions. He has been an integral part of the organisation and contributed to the growth of the company.”
Before his stint at BharatPe, Bahl had held significant roles at organizations such as Airtel Payments Bank, Paytm Bank, and Fortis Healthcare. While Bahl’s future plans involve establishing an early-stage investment firm, details remain undisclosed at this time.
The series of resignations within BharatPe, including key executives like Chief Technology Officer Vijay Aggarwal, Nehul Malhotra, Rajat Jain, and Geetanshu Singla, among others, have marked a period of transformation for the company. Suhail Sameer, the Chief Executive, was the most recent addition to the list of departures, stepping down in January of the current year.