Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has apologised to a Bengaluru man who criticised the platform for imposing an “extra charge for the veg enablement fleet.” Rohit Ranjan expressed his frustration in a LinkedIn post, calling the move a “luxury tax” on vegetarians.
In his post, Ranjan said, “Being a vegetarian in India these days feels like a curse! Zomato’s latest move—introducing an ‘extra charge’ for the veg enablement fleet—has officially turned us into a premium subscription plan. Fellow herbivores, brace yourselves! We’ve gone from ‘green and healthy’ to ‘green and pricey.’ Thanks, Zomato, for proving once again that being veg is now a luxury tax! Thanks, Swiggy, for treating us equally.” His post included a screenshot showing a Rs 2 charge for the veg mode enablement.
In response to the backlash, Goyal issued a public apology, admitting the mistake. “This is absolutely stupid on our part. I am super sorry for this. This charge will be removed today itself,” Goyal said, assuring users that corrective measures would be implemented to avoid similar issues in the future.
Earlier today, Goyal also made headlines by announcing Zomato’s new wellness facility at their Gurugram headquarters, aimed at prioritising employee health and well-being.