Zomato Reverts to Red Uniform for Veg Deliveries Following Backlash

New Delhi, Mar 20: Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has announced the rollback of plans for separate green uniforms for a new vegetarian-only food delivery service, following significant backlash. The company will continue to use the current red shirts/t-shirts for all delivery persons. Although Zomato will maintain a fleet for vegetarians, there will be no on-ground segregation using the colour green. Goyal explained that the fleet meant for vegetarian orders would not be identifiable on the ground but would show on the Zomato app, ensuring that red uniform delivery partners are not incorrectly associated with non-veg food and blocked by gated communities.The announcement was met with both criticism and praise on social media. Some users questioned the efficiency of having two separate fleets for different dietary preferences, while others expressed concerns about potential discrimination. Goyal emphasised the importance of riders' physical safety and acknowledged that customers could also face issues with landlords due to the segregation. He thanked netizens for their input and acknowledged the unintended consequences of the rollout.The move had its supporters, who appreciated the ease of locating vegetarian-only restaurants in the Zomato app and avoiding any possibility of food getting mixed up. Goyal had previously stated that the company would roll back the plan if it witnessed significant negative social repercussions. He also clarified that participation in the veg delivery fleet would not discriminate based on delivery partners' dietary preferences and that the new service strictly serves a dietary preference irrespective of a person's religion or caste.

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