Former Zomato employee backs Deepinder Goyal's Rs 20 lakh job offer, says its 'worth way more'. See post

Meanwhile, responding to the mounting criticism, Goyal clarified that Zomato never intended to charge Rs 20 lakh for the position.

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal recently came under scrutiny after posting a job advertisement for a Chief of Staff role with unconventional terms. The position required candidates to forgo a salary for the first year and donate Rs 20 lakh to Feeding India, Zomato’s non-profit initiative. The announcement quickly drew criticism, with many accusing the company of exploiting potential candidates by linking employment to a charitable contribution.

Amid the backlash, former Zomato employee Arnav Gupta, who served as Engineering Head of Consumer App until 2024, defended the opportunity, highlighting its potential value. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Gupta described the role as a unique learning experience.

“I know people are commenting various stupid things about 'paid internship'. Leaving this note here as someone who got the chance to work 1 year with @deepigoyal, if you're looking for a career in Management Consulting / Strategy, this is worth way more than Rs 20 lakh!” Gupta wrote.

I know people are commenting various stupid things about "paid internship"Leaving this note here as someone who got the chance to work 1 year with @deepigoyal, if you're looking for a career in Management Consulting / Strategy, this is worth waaaay more than 20L!
Arnav Gupta (@championswimmer) November 20, 2024

In a separate post, he compared the donation requirement to MBA fees in India, stating that no MBA programme in the country charges less than Rs 20 lakh.

Gupta’s defence of the offer did little to pacify critics. Many on social media expressed strong opposition to the terms, arguing they inherently favoured privileged candidates with financial resources.

One user criticised the role as elitist, stating, “This requirement effectively filters for people with inheritance or people who have a good amount of money saved up already that they can use. Which is highly unethical, given that this requirement is not tied to the responsibilities of the job.”

Others questioned the professional value of the position, with one commenter observing, “Working here will not be compared to a degree from a real college which will be valued across the globe.” Another wrote, “This is a publicly advertised paid post so zero prestige – and as a fresher it's very unlikely you'll be given any responsibilities worth the title.”

Another user addressed Gupta’s defence, saying, “Stop glazing him and promoting these things. He is going to use someone’s skill and not pay them and do charity. And if you can’t explain to people why it is better than an MBA from IIM, maybe you should shut up.”

Meanwhile, responding to the mounting criticism, Goyal clarified that Zomato never intended to charge Rs 20 lakh for the position. He explained that the donation requirement was introduced as a filter to assess candidates’ commitment to the role.

“This wasn’t just another hiring post. As some people pointed out, the 'you have to pay us 20 lacs' was merely a filter to find people who had the power to appreciate the opportunity of a fast-track career, without getting bogged down by constraints in front of them,” Goyal wrote on X.

He further emphasised that the hiring process would prioritise genuine intent and capability rather than financial status. “We are going to reject most of the applications, who have money, or even talked about the money. We are going to find genuine intent and a learning mindset from the sea of applications we have received,” he added.

Goyal also noted that Zomato had received over 18,000 applications for the role and that the company would carefully review each submission to identify the best fit for the organisation.