Zomato CEO Apologizes for ‘Veg Mode Fee,’ Promises Immediate Fix

Bengaluru: Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal recently faced backlash after a Bengaluru customer, Rohit Ranjan, flagged a ₹2 “veg mode enablement fee” charged for choosing vegetarian food on the app. The incident, shared by Ranjan on LinkedIn, sparked heated discussions, with the customer humorously comparing being vegetarian in India to having a “luxury tag.”

“This is absolutely stupid on our part. I am super sorry for this. This charge will be removed today itself,” Goyal replied, vowing corrective action within the team to ensure “such s**t doesn’t happen again.”

Ranjan expressed gratitude for the swift response, though the situation reignited debates on Zomato’s vegetarian initiatives. Notably, in March last year, Zomato introduced a “pure veg mode,” allowing users to filter vegetarian-only dishes or restaurants. However, public outcry led the company to scrap its plan for segregated green uniforms for delivery agents, reverting to their signature red outfit.

Goyal’s prompt acknowledgment of the issue and commitment to fix the mistake highlights the company’s effort to rebuild customer trust after this misstep.