Let's not cook up new stories

Doing business in a country as large and diverse as India is not easy, and business leaders must think aggressively to stay ahead of the competition. Unfortunately, sometimes they overthink. Take Zomato's founder, Deepinder Goyal. He's been on a roll lately - whether for his stint on Shark Tank India Season 3 or for purchasing India's first Aston Martin DB12 supercar. But, as they say, even the best chefs can burn rotis. Goyal, this week, unveiled a plan to introduce a 'Pure Veg (sic)' Fleet for Zomato, dedicated solely to delivering 'Pure Veg (sic)' food to customers. These select pure veg riders would wear green T-shirts, not the usual tomato-red ones.

Goyal offered another nugget: India has the largest percentage of vegetarians. That hit the market like a spicy curry on an empty stomach. While some called the decision casteist, others pointed out that it may help RWA uncles, and they will target Zomato's lifeline (delivery staff), and that the firm may lose business as well. Goyal made a quick U-turn: Zomato will now have a fleet for vegetarians, which its app will show, and riders will not be separately identifiable. 'All the love, and all the brickbats were so useful - and helped us get to this optimal point,' Goyal later tweeted, leaving a nagging aftertaste: was all this done for free, unadulterated publicity? If that was so, then Goyal has won a master chef cap.