Deepinder Goyal Denies Zomato Employee Restrictions in Latest Statement

Deepinder Goyal, CEO of Zomato and Shark Tank India judge, has come out swinging against rumors that have been floating around about his company. The controversy started after a Reddit post went viral, claiming that Zomato was not only losing market share to rivals but also imposing some pretty odd internal rules, including banning employees from using other food delivery apps.

The post that started it all was written by an anonymous user who claimed that Zomato was struggling to keep up with competitors like Swiggy. The Redditor alleged that Zomato’s leadership had admitted to a dip in market share during an internal meeting, which supposedly led them to implement some strange new rules. Among those rules was a claim that employees had to place at least seven orders a month through Zomato’s app—and they were banned from using other food delivery services while on the job.

The post sent shockwaves online, with people talking about the company’s “internal chaos” and wondering if Zomato was losing its footing in the market. It didn’t take long for the story to snowball, sparking concern among employees, customers, and the general public.

Deepinder Goyal Responds: ‘Utter Nonsense’

Deepinder Goyal wasn’t having any of it. He immediately took to X (formerly Twitter) to shut down the rumors. Calling the allegations “utter nonsense,” he made it clear that Zomato is not losing market share and, most importantly, would never force its employees to use the app. “Freedom of choice is something we stand for vehemently,” Goyal wrote, further adding, “It is embarrassing to even clarify this, but doing it since many people reached out to me with concern. And thanks everybody for your concern… appreciate it.”

The Shark Tank India 4 Conflict

In addition to the Reddit controversy, Deepinder Goyal’s absence from the latest season of Shark Tank India sparked speculation. Deepinder Goyal had reportedly filmed an episode but was missing from subsequent episodes. Rumors quickly surfaced, suggesting his departure was linked to Swiggy’s sponsorship of the show, which caused further speculation about potential conflicts of interest.

However, during a press event for Shark Tank India Season 4, Danish Khan, the Business Head of the channel, addressed the issue, dismissing any links between Swiggy’s sponsorship and Goyal’s exit. Khan explained, “We would love to have him (Deepinder) at some point. With around 50 episodes to film, scheduling conflicts are inevitable. The sharks are busy running their companies, and we coordinate to have them join us on weekends. There’s nothing more to it.”