Lenskart drops store staff curbs on religious attire after social media backlash

Eyewear retailer Lenskart has withdrawn restrictions on religious symbols in its in-store dress code following criticism on social media. In a post on X on Saturday, the company said it is standardising and publishing a revised style guide that explicitly permits expressions of faith such as bindis, hijabs, turbans, and other cultural markers.

Lenskart founder and CEO Peyush Bansal also reposted the statement, which said the company had “heard clearly” from customers and employees, and apologised for any hurt caused. It reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring future policies and communications reflect its principles of inclusivity across its 2,400-plus stores.

“If any version of our workplace communication caused hurt or made any of our team members feel that their faith was unwelcome here, we are deeply sorry. That is not who Lenskart is, and it is not who we will ever be,” the company wrote.



What changes in the latest style guide?

The newly published style guide allows a wider range of culturally and religiously significant expressions, recognising bindi, tilak, and sindoor as acceptable markers in the workplace. It also permits items such as bangles, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada, hijabs, and turbans.

“At the same time, as a proudly Indian company, we recognise and celebrate the rich cultural diversity that defines our country. We care about professionalism and hygiene, and fully respect personal, cultural, and religious expression. This diversity is not just acknowledged but genuinely valued as part of what makes Lenskart the workplace it is,” the company wrote in its style guide.

The guide further asks employees to first seek respectful clarification — such as discussing the issue with their manager — in case of any conflict with personal or cultural practices, before formally escalating it.

“Any grooming guideline that may conflict with an employee’s personal or cultural practice should be escalated to the HR/PE team or the HR central grievance email ID for a reasonable accommodation discussion,” the guide added.

What was the controversy?

The move comes days after an outdated internal grooming policy circulated online, triggering a backlash on social media for appearing to restrict visible religious attire.

Bansal clarified on Thursday that the document did not reflect the company’s current guidelines. He acknowledged that an older version of the policy contained language inconsistent with Lenskart’s values, and said the issue had been identified and corrected in February, well before it gained public attention. He added that he took responsibility for not catching it sooner.

“But I should have caught this earlier. As Founder and CEO, the responsibility for such lapses is mine. I have asked my team to bring all such materials under stricter review, and I will personally ensure this is addressed going forward. We are also looking into how this found its way into our training content,” he wrote in a post on X.