Zomato slammed for charging 'luxury tax' on vegetarians, Deepinder Goyal calls it 'stupid' and vows to fix 'such sh*t'

Ordering food and groceries online has become second nature to many, despite the extra taxes we pay for the convenience¡ªsometimes willingly, sometimes grudgingly. However, an IIM graduate recently stumbled upon something unusual while ordering food on Zomato¡ªa surprising "veg mode enablement fee" as an extra charge over and above the GST, delivery partner fee and platform fee. Taken aback, he shared his experience on LinkedIn. The post even caught the attention of Zomato's CEO, Deepinder Goyal, who responded with equal astonishment!

'Being a vegetarian in India feels like a curse'

IIM Kozhikode graduate Rohit Ranjan expressed his frustration over Zomato's "veg mode enablement fee," calling out the company for what he perceives as unfair treatment toward vegetarians.

"Being a vegetarian ???? in India these days feels like a curse!" Ranjan began in his LinkedIn post, highlighting his displeasure.

Referring to Zomato's additional charge for its vegetarian fleet option, Ranjan remarked, "Zomato's latest masterstroke¡ªintroducing an 'extra charge' for the veg enablement fleet¡ªhas officially turned us into a premium subscription plan."

He didn't hold back, adding, "So, fellow herbivores, brace yourselves! We've gone from 'green and healthy' to 'green and pricey.'"

Sarcastically thanking Zomato for what he called a "luxury tax," Ranjan wrote, "Thanks, Zomato, for proving once again that being veg is now a luxury tax!"

And then, Ranjan also gave a shoutout to Zomato's competitor, Swiggy, saying, "Thanks Swiggy for treating us equally."

Deepinder Goyal responds: 'Absolutely stupid'

The post quickly gained traction, catching the attention of none other than Zomato's founder and CEO, Deepinder Goyal.

Calling it out as an embarrassing oversight, the 41-year-old Goyal responded, "This is absolutely stupid on our part. I am super sorry for this. This charge will be removed today itself."

He went further, acknowledging the internal lapse and vowing to address it: "Will also fix what¡¯s needed to fix in the team so that such s**t doesn¡¯t happen again."

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