Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) questioned Zomato’s co-founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal, hours after the company announced the launch of a ‘Pure Veg Mode’ and a ‘Pure Veg Fleet’ for customers who are strictly vegetarian. TGPWU wanted to know if Zomato ‘will now also filter out delivery workers who are vegetarian only to service this fleet’.
Shaik Salauddin, the founder and president of TGPWU, also questioned Deepinder Goyal about whether Zomato would in the future collect feedback from users regarding who can and cannot deliver meals.
Following Zomato’s latest action, Salauddin issued an official statement stating that it will only allow deliveries from restaurants that serve vegetarian meals, excluding those who serve both non-vegetarian and vegetarian options.
“Our question to Deepinder ji: will Zomato now also filter out delivery workers who are vegetarian only to service this ‘Pure Veg Fleet’, identifiable by green delivery bags?” Salauddin questioned in an official statement.
“If Zomato has today launched a ‘Pure Veg Fleet’ in response to customer feedback and requirements, then it will in the future also take customer feedback about who can deliver their food and who cannot? Will it filter our delivery brothers and sisters by caste, community and religion?” he continued.
Salauddin further added, “Will Zomato assure its delivery workers that it will also address the safety and dignity of our brothers and sisters in the future?”
Goyal penned down on X, “India has the largest percentage of vegetarians in the world, and one of the most important feedback we’ve gotten from them is that they are very particular about how their food is cooked, and how their food is handled.”
He continued, “To solve for their dietary preferences, we are today, launching a “Pure Veg Mode” along with a “Pure Veg Fleet” on Zomato, for customers who have a 100% vegetarian dietary preference.” He did, however, emphasize that the new service does not support or offend any political or religious beliefs.
