Shark Tank India’s Deepinder Goyal reacts to claims of not letting his employees use other food apps; calls it ‘utter nonsense’

Shark Tank India judge and Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has strongly dismissed a wave of rumors circulating about his company’s internal operations. The controversy began after a Reddit post surfaced, alleging that Zomato was facing internal chaos, losing market share, and even enforcing bizarre rules on its employees — including banning them from ordering food through other competitors.
According to the now-viral Reddit post, an anonymous user claimed that during a recent internal meeting, the brand’s leadership acknowledged a dip in market share against rising rivals. The post alleged that, in a state of "panic," the company introduced strict new policies, one of which supposedly required employees to place a minimum of seven orders through their own app each month, while outright prohibiting them from using competing services within office premises.

Deepinder Goyal wasted no time in setting the record straight. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he labeled the allegations as “All of this - 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. It is embarrassing to even clarify this - but doing it since many people reached out to me with concern. And thanks everybody for your concern.. appreciate it."
The Reddit post also raised concerns about company’s pay structure for delivery partners and frustrations among restaurant partners. However, Goyal chose to focus his response on debunking the most sensational claims first.

Goyal, who has been enjoying a renewed spotlight thanks to his stint on Shark Tank India, emphasized transparency and reassured stakeholders and fans that his brand remains committed to fair practices and a positive work culture.
Among the notable absentees from 4th season was Deepinder Goyal, who had reportedly started filming for the show and even completed one episode. His sudden departure from the panel had sparked curiosity, especially after Swiggy, Zomato’s direct competitor in the food delivery space, who came on board as a major sponsors of the show.
Addressing the speculation during a press event for Shark Tank India 4, Danish Khan, Business Head of the channel, dismissed rumors linking Goyal’s exit to Swiggy's sponsorship. He stated, "We would love to have him (Deepinder) at some point. With around 50 episodes to film, scheduling conflicts are inevitable. The sharks are busy running their companies, and we coordinate to have them join us on weekends. There’s nothing more to it.”