ETtechZomato chief executive Deepinder Goyal on Saturday firmly denied speculation that the food delivery platform is losing market share or pressuring employees to exclusively order from it.“All of this is utter nonsense,” Goyal said in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “Neither are we losing market share, nor will we ever force our employees to order on Zomato. Freedom of choice is something we stand for vehemently.”
Goyal’s statement came after a viral Reddit post, purportedly by a Zomato employee, raised concerns about the company’s internal culture and competitive position.
The post also described a “toxic” internal culture, highlighting the abrupt removal of Rakesh Ranjan, the former chief executive of Zomato’s food delivery vertical, shortly after a town hall meeting with employees.
The whistleblower further alleged that leadership was overly focussed on hitting short-term targets at the expense of long-term goals, leading many employees to exit for competitors like Zepto.
“Customers are frustrated. Riders are frustrated. Restaurant partners are frustrated. It’s a vicious cycle. Zomato might still look shiny from the outside, but inside, it’s falling apart,” the post concluded.
Goyal termed the allegations “baseless” and said it was “embarrassing” to even have to respond, but he chose to clarify in light of the inquiries he had received.
Goyal’s statement came after a viral Reddit post, purportedly by a Zomato employee, raised concerns about the company’s internal culture and competitive position.
The anonymous whistleblower alleged that Zomato was losing market share to rivals like Zepto Cafe and Swiggy. In response, they claimed, employees were instructed to place at least seven orders per month on Zomato, with tracking measures in place. Ordering from competing platforms like Swiggy was allegedly banned within the office premises.
The whistleblower further alleged that leadership was overly focussed on hitting short-term targets at the expense of long-term goals, leading many employees to exit for competitors like Zepto.
“Customers are frustrated. Riders are frustrated. Restaurant partners are frustrated. It’s a vicious cycle. Zomato might still look shiny from the outside, but inside, it’s falling apart,” the post concluded.
Goyal termed the allegations “baseless” and said it was “embarrassing” to even have to respond, but he chose to clarify in light of the inquiries he had received.
“And thanks everybody for your concern.. appreciate it,” he added.
