Following widespread feedback and criticism, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal announced on Wednesday the reversal of plans to introduce green uniforms for the company’s new ‘Pure Veg’ branded fleet of delivery services. Instead, all riders will continue to wear the traditional red uniform.
The decision comes a day after the platform launched a veg mode to cater to customers with pure vegetarian dietary preferences, introducing a “Pure Veg Fleet” for its 100% vegetarian clientele in India.
The move to remove the color differentiation follows concerns raised by users that such a distinction could potentially lead to the identification and targeting of non-vegetarian eaters in housing societies or infringe upon individuals’ privacy regarding their food choices.
In a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Goyal remarked: “Update on our pure veg fleet. 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,” he added.