Laid off, burned out or moved on? Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal wants ex-employees back in emotional message, shares email id

Sometimes, the most unexpected career invitations come not from recruiters, but from the past. In a message that has struck a chord across startup circles, Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has reached out directly to former employees, asking them to consider coming back. Whether they left by choice, burnout, or were asked to move on, Goyal’s note is a rare, personal call to reconnect with people who once helped build the company and may still feel a quiet pull towards it.

Taking to X, Deepinder Goyal addressed anyone who had previously worked at Zomato, acknowledging upfront that the company may not have been the right place for everyone at the time. He reflected on how, for many, the environment or leadership may have fallen short of what they needed then. At the same time, he expressed a deep belief that many ex-employees genuinely loved being at Zomato and may not have felt the same sense of belonging elsewhere after leaving.

Goyal shared that today, more than 400 people at Eternal are already on their second or third stints with the organisation. According to him, many of them are doing some of their best work now. He attributed this not just to personal growth, but also to how the company itself has evolved. Eternal, he said, is now more organised, less chaotic, and shaped by lessons learned over time, including his own as a leader.


In his message, Goyal made it clear that the door is open, regardless of how the exit happened in the past. He emphasised that he is not holding on to old grievances and does not see the past as a barrier. His focus, instead, is on what lies ahead and the kind of people needed to build it. For those who hesitated to reach out, thinking the chapter was closed, he underlined that it is not.


He went on to describe the scale and ambition of Eternal today, calling it a family of companies that includes Zomato, Blinkit Quick-Commerce, Blinkit Ambulances, District, Hyperpure, Nugget, and Feeding India. With so much underway, Goyal stressed the need for people who already understand what good looks like within the ecosystem and care enough to fight for it. In his view, there is no one better suited for that than someone who has been there before, left, grown, and now feels ready to return.

Addressing concerns around leadership changes, Goyal acknowledged that Eternal is not the same company it once was, including the fact that he is no longer the CEO. But he questioned whether titles ever truly mattered at Eternal. He made it clear that he remains deeply involved and invested in the company’s journey and would love for former colleagues to be part of its next phase.

For anyone feeling a sense of unfinished business, Goyal urged them not to overthink it. He invited ex-employees to write directly to him at back@eternal.com, promising an open conversation about finding a role that fits their life as it stands today. Ending on a characteristically candid note, he joked that while Gurgaon’s pollution remains a problem, being at Eternal, he believes, is still very much a feature.