Hyderabad: Zomato’s CEO Deepinder Goyal, who took time out of his corporate duties for a while and donned a delivery agent’s uniform, hitting the streets of Gurgaon alongside his wife, Grecia Munoz, joined the chorus for improved work conditions for employees, a subject that has been in discussion after the suicide of a Pune-based Chartered Accountant(CA) Anna Sebastian Perayil (26), who lost her life due to a 'backbreaking Workload' at Ernst & Young.
Goyal alleged that a mall in Gurugram stopped him from using the lift while he was picking up a food order as a delivery executive.
"During my second order, I realised that we need to work with malls more closely to improve working conditions for all delivery partners. And malls also need to be more humane to delivery partners. What do you think?," was how he described the travails on his Instagram account while delivering foods.
For a change, he delivered food orders. The internet went ga ga over Goyal’s gesture as his attempt appears to have been aimed at showing the daily challenges faced by Zomato’s delivery boys firsthand and encouraging them.
At one point, he stopped by the office of Ala Mode By Akanksha, a curated fashion label, where the brand’s Instagram account captured the moment. The post read, "Learn from the boss himself how to do it right!” praising Goyal’s hands-on leadership style and his commitment to understanding the nuances of the job.
On his Instagram, Goyal shared, "Went out to deliver orders a couple of days ago, teaming up with @greciamunozp," alongside photos of the duo navigating the bustling streets, checking delivery locations, and interacting with customers. In one clip, Goyal expressed his excitement about the experience, noting, "Loving delivering food to our customers, and enjoying the ride."
While many praised the CEO's approach as inspiring, the viral post also attracted some criticism. Several social media users were quick to point out the luxury bike he used for deliveries, which was far from the reality for most delivery agents. Others, however, lauded Goyal's attempt as a genuine act of leadership.
This unique initiative by Goyal comes amid a period of change at Zomato, following the resignation of co-founder and Chief People Officer Akriti Chopra, who left in September after 13 years with the company.
