What is Zomato's 'Pure Veg' Fleet and Why Has it Stirred Controversy Among Foodies in India?

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal made headlines on Tuesday with the introduction of a novel service called “Pure Veg Mode,” tailored to meet the needs of vegetarian customers. This feature exclusively displays restaurants offering vegetarian cuisine. Moreover, orders placed through this mode will be handled by Zomato’s specialised “Pure Veg Fleet,” identifiable by their distinctive green attire and delivery boxes.

Goyal explained the necessity of establishing a separate fleet for vegetarian deliveries, citing instances where food spills resulted in the aroma lingering and affecting subsequent orders. “For this reason, we had to separate the fleet for veg orders,” he emphasised.

Public Reaction

Zomato’s bold move sparked a heated debate on social media, with many voicing concerns about the potential for discrimination and division arising from the segregation of delivery executives based on dietary preferences. Critics argued that this move could exacerbate existing divides and lead to harassment and safety issues for delivery personnel still sporting the traditional ‘Red’ shirts in neighbourhoods that prioritise vegetarianism.

One user expressed cynicism, saying, “Lovely. Waiting for “pure veg” housing societies to attack normal red tshirt Zomato riders.”

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Another echoed this sentiment, stating, “This is deeply disturbing because now many housing societies in the cowbelt, Gujarat, and even Mumbai will just ban the entry of red-shirted Zomato delivery persons. Mot only promoting discrimination, you are actively putting some of your customers in danger of ostracization!”

A third commenter criticised the decision, stating, “A decision that shouldn’t have been made, drivers wearing the red shirt will not be allowed in a lot of societies, areas and many more places, things. which would only increase the divide.”

Stats Stir the Pot Further

Some users questioned the validity of the statistics cited by Goyal to justify the introduction of the ‘Pure Veg’ feature. While Goyal claimed that India has the largest percentage of vegetarians globally, internet users pointed out that more than 50% of the Indian population identifies as non-vegetarian.

Quoting NFHS (The National Family Health Survey) data from 2019-2022, one user challenged Goyal’s assertion, “81% of India Population is non veg. Don’t know where @deepigoyal getting data and stats.”

Another voiced, “This has to be the worst marketing stunt ever pulled. To please 10% of India’s veg population you’ve alienated and offended 90% of India’s non-veg population.”

A Dash of Support

Amidst the controversy, some welcomed the initiative, expressing relief that their food orders would now be guaranteed to be purely vegetarian, avoiding past instances of receiving non-vegetarian items mistakenly.

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“This decision will also be good for those delivery agents who are pure veg. The launching of “Pure Veg Fleet” and “Pure Veg Mode” is good for both. Delivery agent and customer,” remarked one user.

Another added, “I know a lot of people, who do not order online because they are pure vegetarians, I hope this will be useful to them. Kudos to @zomato for always listening to its users.”

Others foresaw positive outcomes, such as an increase in the number of delivery partners willing to join Zomato due to the availability of vegetarian-only options. “This will encourage more people to join as delivery partners who were not willing to deliver non-veg food,” one user optimistically predicted.

Questions and Inquiries

Amidst the diverse reactions, many were left perplexed by Zomato’s “Pure Veg” move, prompting numerous questions directed at Goyal. Even Congress MP Karti Chidambaram raised concerns about potential discrimination based on delivery personnel’s dietary choices, questioning, “Will this ‘fleet’ exclude delivery personnel based on their personal dietary choices? – that’s the hidden agenda, I fear.”

Another curious user wondered, “Will there be ‘Pure Non Veg’ mode? Delivery fleet will be either ‘Pure Veg’ or ‘Pure Non-Veg’?”

And a third injected humour into the discussion, quipping, “Is zomato gonna make sure they took bath after eating non-veg and before delivering a Pure-veg order? Coz the day/night i eat non-veg i have to take a bath before entering the rooms of my house…”

Deepinder Goyal’s Response to Backlash and Remedial Action

In response to the uproar following the launch of Zomato’s ‘Pure Veg Mode’ and ‘Pure Veg Fleet,’ CEO Deepinder Goyal swiftly addressed the situation. He pledged to retract the scheme if it continued to generate “significant negative social repercussions.” True to his word, Goyal took action.

Just a day later, on Wednesday, Goyal announced a significant update to Zomato’s terms. Henceforth, all riders, regardless of their assignment to the regular fleet or the ‘Pure Veg Fleet,’ would don the colour red. This decision came in the wake of intense online debates and criticism surrounding the newly-introduced ‘all-veg’ service.

In a post on X, Goyal provided an “update on our pure veg fleet,” clarifying, “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.” He emphasised that this adjustment would eliminate the visual distinction of the vegetarian fleet on the ground, although it would still be evident in the app that vegetarian orders would be served by the vegetarian-only fleet.

And there it was – the solution!

With this culinary remix, Goyal believed they had struck the perfect balance. Expressing gratitude for the feedback, he reflected, “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.”