Deepinder Goyal, the founder and CEO of Zomato, has revolutionized the food delivery landscape in India and beyond. Through his exceptional entrepreneurial skills, Goyal transformed a small restaurant discovery platform into a global food-tech giant. Under his leadership, Zomato has expanded its operations across borders, acquiring several startups and forging strategic partnerships. Notably, the company's bold acquisition of Blinkit has propelled Zomato into new territories, redefining the way food services are accessed. Goyal's innovative approach and strategic vision have earned him recognition as one of India's most influential business leaders.
Born on January 26, 1983, in Muktsar, Punjab, Deepinder Goyal grew up in a middle-class family, developing a strong affinity for mathematics and problem-solving from an early age. This passion led him to pursue a degree in Mathematics and Computing from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, graduating in 2005.
Goyal's entrepreneurial journey began during his tenure as a Senior Associate Consultant at Bain & Company. Frustrated with the inefficiencies of ordering food in the workplace, he conceptualized the idea of digital ordering. This innovative solution eventually evolved into Zomato, revolutionizing the food delivery landscape in India. Goyal's early experiences laid the foundation for his remarkable journey in the startup world.
Goyal launched his career in 2006 at Bain & Company, where he spent two years as a consultant, gaining invaluable insights into business strategy and operations. During his tenure, he and Pankaj Chaddah identified a common pain point: the difficulty in accessing restaurant menus. This epiphany sparked the creation of Foodiebay, a platform designed to simplify restaurant discovery.
In 2010, Foodiebay underwent a transformation, rebranding as Zomato. Under Goyal's visionary leadership, the company evolved from a small startup into a global giant, revolutionizing the food service sector. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Zomato has redefined dining habits, offering users a seamless and personalized experience.
Deepinder Goyal and Zomato have embarked on a series of innovative AI-powered initiatives, transforming the food delivery landscape. These initiatives include:
Zomato AI Chatbot: A personalized AI food assistant for Zomato Gold members, offering tailored restaurant and dish recommendations. Built on OpenAI's language models and powered by Microsoft Azure, the chatbot can answer complex queries.
Generative AI Integration: Zomato is experimenting with generative AI to enhance user engagement and personalize features like search, notifications, product photography, and customer support.
AI-Driven Efficiency: This initiative optimizes delivery routes, predicts order patterns based on user behavior and weather, and automates most customer communications within the app.
Hiring AI Talent: 4. Zomato and Blinkit are actively hiring engineers with machine learning expertise, and have appointed a head of AI product development.
AI Advertisement: Zomato has launched AI-based advertisements for restaurant partners, generating significant engagement during Tata IPL 2024. These ads capture the excitement of cricket, friendship, and online food ordering, targeting promotions based on fan sentiments.
AI Partnerships: Zomato is collaborating with industry giants like Google, Adobe, OpenAI, and Microsoft to drive innovation in artificial intelligence.
Deepinder Goyal has spearheaded the creation of a food ordering empire valued in the millions. The company's IPO in 2021 was a resounding success, with subscriptions overshot by 35 times, resulting in a valuation of $12 billion. In 2022, Zomato further solidified its position by acquiring Blinkit, expanding into the quick commerce space. Additionally, its B2B platform, HyperPure, supplies food products to restaurants, diversifying the company's offerings. As of February 2025, Goyal's net worth stands at $1.4 billion, ranking him among the top entrepreneurs in the competitive food tech industry.
Deepinder Goyal’s entrepreneurial journey shows his resilience and innovative spirit. As the founder of Zomato, which he established in 2008, Goyal revolutionized India's food discovery and delivery landscape. Initially starting as FoodieBay, the company expanded rapidly across geographies and acquired over 15 startups. Notably, Zomato acquired Blinkit for $560 million in 2022. Despite facing funding challenges from Info Edge in 2011, Goyal persevered and led Zomato into the prestigious unicorn club in 2018. He further made history by taking the company public in 2021, achieving a market capitalization of INR 1.8 lakh crore by 2024. Today, Goyal holds the distinction of being India's richest professional manager.
Deepinder Goyal's tenure as Zomato's CEO has been marred by numerous controversies and scandals, sparking intense debates about the company's ethics, hiring strategies, and corporate policies. Here are some of the most notable ones:
AI Job Posting Controversy: The controversy over AI job posting cropped up when the CEO of Zomato, Deepinder Goyal, invited applicants for an AI-related role, with an unusual condition; the candidates had to include "I have a second brain" in the subject line. Many recalled his earlier hiring stunt, and the internet was filled with mixed reactions.
Shark Tank Exit Controversy: Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal claimed he was removed from Shark Tank India Season 4 after Swiggy became the main sponsor, sparking allegations of bias.
Veg-Mode Fee Controversy: Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal apologized for the company's extra fee on vegetarian deliveries, which he called "stupid," saying it would be deleted immediately after a user discovered it through LinkedIn. Another debate that also started was about the ethics in pricing because some felt that the firm wrongly charged vegetarians.
Work-Life Balance Controversy: In 2023, Zomato's CEO Deepinder Goyal received backlash for asking applicants who "have no work-life balance" to apply for the Chief of Staff position. This controversy resurfaced in 2024 when his latest job posting solicited a ₹20 lakh fee, causing fresh flames over exploitative hiring practices.
Language Controversy: Zomato was involved in a controversy in 2021 when a company's customer service agent asked a Tamil Nadu user to learn Hindi. The incident opened the door for the #Reject_Zomato trend. The company's CEO, Deepinder Goyal, reinstated the employee, stating India needs more tolerance. Later, the company apologized and extended support for the Tamil language everywhere to placate the regional sentiments.