Deepinder Goyal Invites Zomato's Former Employees To Return, Says ‘The Door Is Not Closed’

Moneylife Digital Team 04 February 2026

Economy & Nation

Zomato founder and Eternal Ltd vice-chairman Deepinder Goyal has issued a public appeal to former employees of Zomato, urging them to consider returning to the company, saying both the organisation and its leadership have evolved over the years.

In a post on X, Mr Goyal addressed ex-employees who left the company either voluntarily or as part of past exits, acknowledging that Zomato may not have offered the right environment or leadership for everyone at the time.

“If you used to work at Zomato, whether you chose to move on, or I was the one who asked you to leave, this is for you,” Mr Goyal wrote, adding that many former employees may have struggled to find the same sense of belonging elsewhere.

If you used to work at Zomato, whether you chose to move on, or I was the one who asked you to leave, this is for you.

I know that for many of you, Zomato didn't have the environment, or the leadership you needed at the time. But I know for sure, that you loved being at Zomato,…
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) February 3, 2026

Mr Goyal says Eternal, the parent company of Zomato, is now more structured and less chaotic than before, noting that over 400 employees have already returned for a second or third stint.

“Many of them are doing their best work now. Maybe because they have grown, but also because the company has grown,” he says, adding that he too had learned from past experiences.

Eternal today operates as a group of businesses that includes Zomato, Blinkit’s quick-commerce operations, Blinkit Ambulances, Hyperpure, District, Nugget and the non-profit Feeding India. Mr Goyal says the group needs people who understand its culture and are willing to help build the next phase.

“We need people who already know what good looks like here, and who care enough to fight for it,” he wrote.

The outreach comes weeks after Mr Goyal stepped down as managing director and chief executive officer (MD&CEO) of Eternal on 21 January 2026. Blinkit CEO Albinder Singh Dhindsa took over as the group chief executive from 1 February 2026.

Explaining his decision earlier, Mr Goyal says he is increasingly drawn to ideas involving risk and experimentation that are better pursued outside the formal CEO role. In his post, he sought to downplay the significance of titles, saying his involvement with Eternal remained unchanged.

“You might say that Eternal is not going to be the same, because I am not the CEO anymore. But ask yourself a question. Did titles ever matter at Eternal?” he says.

Mr Goyal invited interested former colleagues to write to him directly at [email protected], ending the post with a lighter remark about Gurugram’s air quality: “The Gurgaon pollution is still a bug, but being at Eternal is the feature.”

The post triggered mixed reactions on social media, with some users welcoming the outreach as a sign of organisational maturity and founder accountability. Others are more sceptical, questioning whether rehiring former employees without publicly addressing past cultural issues would lead to meaningful change.

This isn’t nostalgia. It’s damage control.
If the culture was healthy, people wouldn’t need a public recall email.
High attrition, burnout, chaos then and chaos now.
Growth didn’t come from leadership maturity, it came from market timing.
Calling it family doesn’t erase why…
— AQaiyyum (@AbdulQaiyyum00) February 3, 2026

Great , fire the employees when you dont need them not caring anything about them , but now that you need their talent back and dont wanna spend much on hiring , you are calling them back.
— Shivam ; (@Tryptophan0x36) February 3, 2026

I love this Deepinder ! I hope you get your old stalwarts back - I remember so many of the oldies from 10-14 years ago.
Bring on the Zomans again !
— Sanjay Lazar (@sjlazars) February 3, 2026

Re-hiring former employees is d ultimate growth hack. Why spend months on expensive training n "culture fit" when your best talent already knows the ropes? Huge kudos to companies opening doors for their alumni. It’s cheaper, faster, and smarter. ?? #HiringTips #CompanyCulture
— ?????? (@bhootnath0) February 3, 2026

The timing of the appeal also drew scrutiny, coming after periods of restructuring and layoffs, including reports last year of around 600 customer support roles being cut following the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven support systems.

Zomato has not announced any formal rehiring programme or changes to its recruitment strategy following Mr Goyal’s post.

The episode reflects a broader trend in India’s tech and start-up ecosystem, where founders are increasingly using public platforms to reshape employer narratives amid automation, leadership transitions and heightened scrutiny of workplace culture. Whether Mr Goyal’s call results in sustained rehiring or deeper internal reform remains to be seen.

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