EaseMyTrip Co-Founder Nishant Pitti Exits CEO Role After Selling Stake, Stock Volatility Follows Leadership Shift

Pitti's Surprise Exit and Stake Sale Shakes Up EaseMyTrip

There’s been real buzz around EaseMyTrip since its co-founder Nishant Pitti shook things up by selling a chunk of his holdings and stepping down as CEO. On December 31, 2024, Pitti offloaded a 1.41% stake—roughly 5 crore shares—via a block deal, pocketing around ₹78 crore. He trimmed his stake in the company from 14% to just 12.8%, which is more than just a casual move for someone who helped start the travel booking platform.

What caught everyone off-guard was the original plan: Nishant reportedly wanted to sell almost his entire residual stake, a full 14%. For reasons no one has explained yet, he managed to sell only 1.41%. The move sent ripples through the market, especially since he’d also just resigned as CEO the next day, on January 1, 2025. Pas sing the leadership baton isn’t a small thing—especially for a company that grew out of three brothers’ ambition.

Leadership Reshuffle and Market Jitters

Rikant Pittie, one of the other co-founders, is now steering the ship, stepping in as the new CEO. Rikant already had a significant stake (25.88%) before this, and now, with Prashant Pittie’s 10.29%, the Pitti trio still controls nearly half the company (48.97%). Investors, of course, pay close attention to these shifts. Leadership changes often spook the markets, and this time was no exception.

As soon as Nishant’s sale and exit made the headlines, EaseMyTrip stock sank nearly 7%, dipping to ₹15.36 on the NSE. That sort of drop usually sets off alarm bells. But the story didn't end there—Nishant jumped in to address concerns. He pointed out that his stake sale was entirely for personal reasons, not linked to any company issues, and firmly stated that he wasn’t looking to sell off any more shares. That seemed to put everyone at ease; almost immediately, the stock rocketed up 15%, erasing the earlier loss. It’s a classic case of how much power co-founder sentiment has over shareholder confidence.

There’s still mystery around who snagged those 5 crore shares. Institutional investors like CRAFT Emerging Market Fund were reportedly involved in the block deal, but there haven’t been any official disclosures about the specific buyers. What’s clear, though, is that Nishant’s reassurance was enough to keep investors from running for the exits.

So, why does this matter? Because when a founder makes a move like this, it’s more than a line item in a quarterly report. The Pittie brothers started EaseMyTrip as a tiny family operation, and now they’re navigating the tricky waters of professional management and institutional investment. Markets react not just to numbers, but to the human drama behind the scenes.