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Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal clarifies on model with company shirt riding without helmet
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal distances company from viral video, clarifies they do not endorse helmet-less biking.
Zomato's founder and chief executive, Deepinder Goyal, has clarified the company's stance regarding a viral video circulating on social media. The video, featuring a helmet-less woman posing as a 'model' while driving with a Zomato delivery bag, has raised concerns for violating traffic rules and was initially shared by netizens as an official advertisement.
"We had absolutely nothing to do with this. We don’t endorse helmet-less biking," the CEO of the food delivery platform clarified in an X post.
Here's the viral video of 'Zomato girl without helmet'
An X user shared a video depicting a woman dressed as a Zomato delivery person driving without a helmet on the streets of what was claimed to be Vijaya Nagar in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
“Indore Zomato marketing head had this idea. He hired a model to drive around with an empty Zomato bag for one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. Zomato is on a roll,” the user wrote.
Zomato's Deepinder Goyal's clarification
The Unicorn's CEO said that while there’s nothing wrong with women delivering food, he distanced Zomato from the video and said it seems “someone just 'free-riding' on our brand.”
“We have hundreds of women who deliver food every day to earn a livelihood for their families, and we are proud of their work ethic,” he added.
Zomato Care also replied to the user post: “Hi Rajiv, we'd like to clarify that we had nothing to do with this video. We do not endorse helmet-less biking and we do not have an 'Indore marketing head'.”
Netizens 'misinterpreted' viral video as official Zomato campaign
Prior to the release of the clarification regarding the viral video, many users expressed criticism, believing it was inappropriate for Zomato to employ a model for advertising campaigns that disregarded traffic regulations.
“Does Zomato promote riding two-wheelers without helmets?” a user asked. Another sharp comment asked the food delivery platform: "Who is going to pay for the violation of the road rules...model(s) going round the city without a helmet...whether the model or the company....if a disaster takes place then who is to be blamed?"
Some people, though, asked why there was such an outcry about a woman driving without a helmet when it's a "common sight for other gender".
