Hyderabad: CEO of app-based food delivery service Zomato, Deepinder Goyal on Friday announced a new project- the ‘Zomato Future Foundation.’ Goyal stated that ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) worth Rs 700 crore would be invested through this foundation into educating children and supporting families of selected Zomato delivery agents who have been hurt or have lost their lives working for the company.
An internal note that surfaced and is being circulated on social media states that the foundation will cover the education of up to two children of all Zomato delivery partners who have been with the company for more than five years.
It further claimed that it will also spend Rs 50,000 per child per year, which could rise to Rs 100,000 if the delivery partner completes 10 years with Zomato. There will also be extra incentives for women delivery agents.
“I believe that education is the one and the only thing that can give them (the children of delivery partners) a chance to build a life much better than their previous generations,” said Goyal.
According to a statement released by Zomato, the company had 310,000 active delivery partners in July 2021, the highest-ever number in the platform’s lifetime.
Immediately after this announcement, workers’ unions across the country expressed their concerns about the well-being of delivery partners. Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) called the move “an attempt to save the tarnished image of his public company, which recently also faced backlash for the rolling out of 10-minute deliveries.”
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