Is Deepinder Goyal pivoting to DeepTech after stepping down as Eternal CEO?

On 21^st January, Deepinder Goyal announced his resignation as CEO and Managing Director of Eternal, the parent company for growing businesses like Zomato and Blinkit. The announement, effective 1 Febrauary 2026, has left the industry asking; is India’s one of the most prominent consumer tech founder shifting his focus entirely to deeptech?

In a letter to shareholders, Goyal stated he is drawn to “new ideas that involve significantly higher-risk exploration and experimentation.” He noted that these initiatives fall outside the strategic scope of a public company like Eternal. While he will remain Vice Chairman, the move signals a transition from day-to-day operations to what is being suspected as an “all-in” bet on scientific innovation.

The “Temple” device; a sign of things to come?

The most visible clue to Goyal’s future interests appeared in early January 2026. Goyal was seen wearing a small metallic device fixed near his temple during public appearances. Named Temple, the wearable is a research prototype designed to monitor cerebral blood flow in real-time.

The device is linked to Goyal’s self-developed “Gravity Ageing Hypothesis,” which suggests that the constant pull of gravity on the body reduces blodd flow to the brain over decades, potentially accelerating aging. While medical professionals have greeted the theory with skepticism, Goyal has reported committed USD 25 million of his personal wealth to Continue Research, the entity spreadheading this work.

Building a DeepTech portfolio

Goyal’s interests appear to extend beyond human biology. His private investments suggest a broader fascination with complex engineering:

Health Diagnostics: Through Temple, Goyal is exploring non-invasive sensors that track biomarkers traditionally requiring hospital-grade machinery.

• Aerospace: Goyal has backed LAT Aerospace, a startup co-founded with former executive Surobhi Das. The company aims to build "buses in the sky", short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft to connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 Indian cities.

• Open Science: Unlike traditional corporate R&D, Goyal’s Continue Researchoperates on an open-source model, aiming to publish research outputs freely for the public.

Why step away now?

The timing of his exit coincides with Eternal reaching a new level of stability. The company reported a profit of Rs 102 crore for Q3 FY26, and Blinkit, led by new Group CEO Albinder Dhindsa, has emerged as a dominant force in quick commerce.

Goyal explained that the "legal and otherwise" expectations of a public company CEO in India demand "singular focus." By stepping into a non-executive role, he frees himself from quarterly earnings pressures to focus on projects with high failure rates but potentially massive societal impact.

The risk of the unknown

The central question remains: is Goyal on the verge of a scientific breakthrough, or is this an expensive foray into "pseudoscience"? In past, it has been argued that the Temple device lacks clinical validation and regulatory approval. However, supporters point out that Goyal has a history of turning "absurd" ideas, like a menu-scanning website, into multi-billion dollar realities.

Whether he is building the next generation of healthcare hardware or revolutionary aircraft, Goyal’s move confirms that his next chapter will be defined by deep science rather than food delivery.