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Lenskart under fire for ‘hijab allowed, bindi banned’ rule; Peyush Bansal reacts
Lenskart founder Peyush Bansal has dismissed allegations that the company’s current style guide allows employees to wear a hijab, but not a bindi or a tilak.
Lenskart founder Peyush Bansal has dismissed allegations that the company’s current style guide allows employees to wear a hijab, but not a bindi, tilak or a kalawa. The “Lenskart Staff Uniform and Grooming Guide”, which began circulating online yesterday, sparked a row over alleged religious discrimination, prompting Bansal to issue a clarification.
What the Lenskart style guide said
The style guide purportedly issued by Lenskart stipulated that its store employees are allowed to wear a black-coloured hijab (a headscarf worn by many Muslim women) during their shift. Black turbans are also allowed.
However, the same guide banned bindis and tilak for employees. “Religious tikka/tilakand Bindi/Sticker is not allowed,” it instructed.
A bindi is typically worn by Hindu women. Both Hindu men and women can wear tilak. (Also read: TCS suspends Nashik employees: A timeline of sexual harassment, religious conversion case)
The guide drew widespread condemnation online for religious bias, prompting Peyush Bansal to disown the document as an older version that does not reflect the company’s current stance. Bansal also apologized for the “confusion” caused by the document.
Peyush Bansal reacts
“Hi, all. I’ve been seeing an inaccurate policy document going viral about Lenskart,” Bansal said in an X post last night.
The founder of Lenskart said that the document does not reflect the company’s current guidelines for employees while implying that it is “outdated”. He added that staff have full liberty to wear bindis or tilaks.
“Our policy has no restrictions on any form of religious expression, including bindi and tilak, and we continue to review our guidelines regularly,” Bansal said.
“Our grooming policy has evolved over the years and outdated versions do not represent who we are today. We apologize for the confusion and concern this situation has caused,” he added.
Read his full statement below:
How users reacted
X users criticised Lenskart and its founder for “lying”, claiming that the document circulating online was issued in February 2026.
“Okay, then you should make public a copy of your company's current policy. Because what we have seen is completely opposite to what you are saying,” wrote one X user.
“It's February month policy dude....to whom are you making a fool? Public or yourself?” another asked.
“Sorry, this explanation makes NO sense. Please point out why is the document I have shared ‘inaccurate’. It is from February 2026. And if it does not reflect your ‘current guidelines’ as you say, please share the current guidelines. Also, even if it is an old document as you say, why was religious asymmetry okay then?” X user Shefali Vaidya asked.
(Also read: Tamil Nadu doctor says policeman discriminated against her for her husband's religion, misbehaved with family)
