Deepinder Goyal, founder of Zomato, has been making headlines for some time now after he joined Shark Tank India Season 3. Some netizens have even started referring to him as “Ashneer Grover Lite,” but while some disagree, I think we can all imagine them as best friends in a parallel universe.
Also, he is perhaps exactly what was needed to revive the show after Grover left it due to certain reasons.
Read more: Investor Ashneer Grover to launch his book ‘Doglapan’
What are netizens saying about Deepinder Goyal?
User 1 (X Platform): “Deepinder Goyal is the new soft Ashneer Grover in Shark Tank India S3”
User 2 (X Platform): “Batchmate tha uska… kuch toh same rahega.”
User 3 (X Platform): “To be honest, I feel aggressiveness in his interviews similar to ashneer but the way he looks and speaks make it a little different than ashneer…”
User 4 (X Platform): “WTF vale se zyada Deepinder ka tha attention to detail. I loved it. And one more thing i think he is aggressive about investment.”
User 5 (X Platform): First of all, we need to stop evaluating everyone on a single person basis. Ashneer is different person and Deepinder is different so we need to admire him in a individual manner.
About Deepinder Goyal
Today, Goyal’s brainchild, Zomato, has become synonymous with food delivery convenience. As the CEO and co-founder, he has overseen its evolution from a small startup to a giant food tech enterprise.
Zomato’s inception in 2008, alongside that of co-founder Pankaj Chaddah, marked the beginning of a culinary revolution. Originally named Foodiebay, the company underwent a rebranding in 2011, becoming the household name we know today – Zomato. The company’s success can be attributed to Goyal’s technological expertise and innovative leadership.
Zomato originated in India and now operates in over 24 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, and others. The fact that the online platform connects foodies with their favorite restaurants in over 10,000 locations demonstrates its enormous reach.
Goyal took a unique approach to approaching the food tech market. After getting a degree in computer science and mathematics from IIT Delhi in 2005, he entered the corporate world and worked as a management consultant for Brain & Company. After he left his job and started working on his venture, originally called Foodiebay, it quickly gained traction.
The hiring process of Zomato
Looking for a job at Zomato? It may be more difficult than you imagined. He says,
“The kind of workforce we hire is very different. Ideally, we don’t hire people who are looking for jobs. The kind of people we need, they don’t search for jobs”
In an interview with BT, Deepinder talked about their hiring process at large. He is someone who emphasizes the significance of cultivating talent within the organization.
The goal, according to him, is to always “grow from within.”
Gayal has never been a fan of the time-consuming nature of bringing in external hires, noting the extensive interview process, notice periods, and induction, which could collectively span two years.
Goyal believes in the efficiency of promoting internal talent, stating that it’s easier to invest three months in developing an existing employee who is already familiar with the business than waiting for an external hire to prove their worth over a more extended period.
This strategy aligns with Zomato’s evolutionary journey, with the company now boasting a 15-year history and a workforce that includes individuals with 5-6 years of experience within the system. The company’s recent financial success, turning profitable in the first quarter of FY24, adds a notable backdrop to Goyal’s approach to talent acquisition.
Zomato reported a consolidated profit after tax of Rs 2 crore, marking a significant turnaround from the Rs 186 crore loss in the corresponding period the previous year. The company’s revenue from operations also witnessed substantial growth, standing at Rs 2,416 crore, a nearly 71% YoY increase.
Marching ahead
Despite being perceived by some as arrogant due to his avoidance of public appearances and limited interviews, Goyal’s reluctance to speak in public is rooted in the ongoing struggle with his speech impediment. While acknowledging that his stutter has improved over time, he confesses that there are still certain syllables that pose difficulty for him, making conversations energy-consuming.
In contrast to the public image of a successful entrepreneur, Goyal’s early years were marked by underperformance and speech difficulties. However, his positive attitude became his driving force.
