Following online backlash over the launch of its ‘Pure Veg Mode’ service, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal stated on Wednesday that the company has opted to remove the on-ground segregation of the fleet, which was set to wear green uniforms.
“All our riders — both our regular fleet, and our fleet for vegetarians, will wear the colour red,” Goyal said, adding that “the fleet meant for vegetarian orders will not be identifiable on the ground (but will show on the app that your veg orders will be served by the veg only fleet).”
Zomato had announced on Tuesday the launch of a Pure Veg Mode service to cater specifically to customers who have a pure vegetarian dietary preference.
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Goyal stated that for the ‘Pure Veg Mode’, the company will collaborate with select restaurants serving exclusively vegetarian food, while excluding any establishments offering non-vegetarian items. Additionally, he mentioned that the pure veg fleet will utilize green delivery boxes instead of the standard red ones.
However, the decision has not been well-received by a section of people, who argue that it would further “strengthen caste segregation.” Additionally, concerns have been raised about the possibility of some societies and resident welfare associations barring Zomato’s regular fleet.
Following this, Goyal stated in a late-night tweet that the food delivery platform would swiftly reverse the decision if it resulted in any negative social repercussions.
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In a long post on X, Goyal also sought to allay concerns that Zomato’s regular fleet may be barred by some societies and RWAs. “We now realise that even some of our customers could get into trouble with their landlords, and that would not be a nice thing if that happened because of us,” he said.
Addressing the backlash, Goyal said, “Thanks everyone for talking about this last night. You made us understand the unintended consequences of this rollout. All the love, and all the brickbats were all so useful – and helped us get to this optimal point.”