Zomato: Delivering ‘pure’ casteism

Online food delivery app Zomato launched its ‘Pure Veg Mode’ on March, 2024, adding another flavour of discrimination in our social strata.
Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Zomato, unveiled the ‘Pure Veg Mode’ accompanied by a ‘Pure Veg Fleet’, expressing confidence that it will address all the dietary requirements of vegetarian customers. Pure Veg Fleet were to deliver food wearing green-coloured t-shirt and Non-Veg Fleet was to continue wearing red-coloured t-shirt.
In India where 77% of the people eat chicken, fish and other meat, Goyal claimed that more than 70% Indians’ food is ‘impure’.
Many called out Zomato’s plan as a casteist, regressive move that will encourage discrimination. Terms like pure and impure are representative of modern-day forms of casteism and religious segregation. India is the only country in the world to use the label “pure vegetarian” — it denotes nothing more than a deep-rooted caste bias, will to preserve caste purity, and treat others as ‘impure’. This is a slap in the face of everyone who thinks the free market would smash caste.
If Zomato’s managerial staff was from diverse religious/caste backgrounds, Goyal would have got the feedback from his teammates that his company’s decision has its roots in the caste system.
After the avalanche of criticism, Zomato rolled back the green uniform on March 21 saying,
While we are going to continue to have a fleet for vegetarians, we have decided to remove the on-ground segregation of this fleet on the ground using the colour green. All our riders — both our regular fleet, and our fleet for vegetarians, will wear the colour red.
This means that the fleet meant for vegetarian orders will not be identifiable on the ground (but will show on the app that your veg orders will be served by the veg-only fleet).
This will ensure that our red uniform delivery partners are not incorrectly associated with non-veg food, and blocked by any RWAs or societies during any special days… our riders’ physical safety is of paramount importance to us.
We now realise that even some of our customers could get into trouble with their landlords, and that would not be a nice thing if that happened because of us.
Thanks everyone for talking about this last night. You made us understand the unintended consequences of this rollout. All the love, and all the brickbats were all so useful – and helped us get to this optimal point.
We are always listening, without unnecessary ego, or pride. We look forward to continue serving you. (Source: Deepinder’s post on X formerly Twitter)
Deepinder Goyal, Twitter
The controversy sparked many different opinions on several websites and social media.
Anurag Verma who goes by the name Anurag Minus Verma on X (earlier Twitter) wrote, “10 years later: People from the Pure Veg Fleet decided that they would not marry within Zomato’s Non Veg fleet category people.”
Another user named ‘adrak wali chai’ wrote,
“zomato openly promoting casteism. now in sometime they will also start specifying the caste and religion of delivery professionals. as usual brahmins will start demanding that only upper caste person deliver their food. this is how urban India is preserving untouchability”.
Some who favour the move cheered Goyal on his decision. One Nimo Tai commented sarcastically, “Muslim Barber slit throats of 11-year-old Ayush and 8-year-old Ahan over a dispute.
But Zomato introducing veg only fleet will polarize the society.
These people are so cut from the reality.”
Another popular right-wing user, Gabbar tweeted, “If Zomato gives a 5 Rupees discount on Idli sambhar in the Green Zomato option, all these wokes who are outraging will run towards that to order”