New Delhi: Zomato has opted to abandon the green dress code for delivery riders tasked with transporting exclusively vegetarian food following substantial criticism on social media. CEO Deepinder Goyal addressed the controversy and announced the decision via social media platforms.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Goyal stated, “While we will continue to maintain a fleet for vegetarians, we have opted to eliminate the on-ground differentiation of this fleet based on the colour green. Both our regular fleet and our vegetarian fleet will now wear the colour red.”
He further explained, “This means that the fleet designated for vegetarian orders will no longer be distinguishable on the ground (though it will be indicated on the app that vegetarian orders will be handled by the vegetarian fleet).”
The concept of Zomato’s ‘Pure Veg Mode’ and ‘Pure Veg Fleet’ was introduced to exclusively serve customers adhering to a strictly vegetarian diet. Goyal emphasized that this initiative is neutral and does not show bias towards any religious or political groups.
In a subsequent post on X, Goyal clarified that the feature is aimed at accommodating customers who prefer not to order from establishments serving meat, irrespective of their religious or caste affiliations.
Addressing the need for separate fleets, Goyal explained, “Despite best efforts, there are instances where food spills into delivery boxes, causing the smell of the previous order to affect the subsequent one. Hence, there is a need for separate fleets for vegetarian orders.”
He also assured that involvement in the vegetarian delivery fleet would not discriminate based on the dietary preferences of the delivery partners.
Acknowledging concerns about societal reactions, Goyal pledged to address any issues arising from this change promptly. He stated, “We recognize our social responsibility in making this change and will not hesitate to rectify any negative consequences.”
Zomato expressed readiness to revert the initiative if it leads to adverse social outcomes. Goyal affirmed, “If we observe any significant negative social repercussions from this change, we will swiftly reverse it.”
This decision follows Zomato’s recent announcement of a dedicated fleet exclusively serving orders from ‘pure veg’ restaurants, which would be delivered in distinct green boxes.
