KOCHI Delivery App Reverses Course on Green Uniforms for Vegetarian Food Riders
In a surprising turn of events, a popular Indian food delivery app has decided to backtrack on its new green uniforms for riders delivering vegetarian food. Zomato faced backlash online after announcing that it would have a separate fleet of riders delivering food from “only pure vegetarian” restaurants, clad in green-colored uniforms instead of the signature red.
The move was met with criticism from many who argued that it could perpetuate caste norms in a country where eating meat is intricately linked to rigid caste practices. People identifying as “pure vegetarian” often go to great lengths to ensure their food does not come into contact with any form of meat, reflecting notions of purity and upper-caste sensibilities.
The controversy began when Zomato’s CEO Deepinder Goyal unveiled the new “Pure Veg” fleet to cater to the vegetarian customer base, citing feedback about customers’ preferences for how their food is handled and cooked. However, the initiative was quickly labeled as “casteist” and “regressive” by critics.
Concerns were also raised about the safety of the delivery riders, who could now be easily identified due to the green uniforms and delivery boxes. This led to fears that residential associations might ban Zomato delivery personnel, particularly on religious or special occasions.
Following the uproar, Goyal announced that the company would revert to having all riders, both regular and vegetarian fleet, wear the color red to avoid any association with non-vegetarian food and prevent any discrimination from residential associations.
While the color coding may have been eliminated, some critics argue that the underlying concept still remains. This incident comes after a previous backlash against the platform for an advertisement portraying a Dalit character in a controversial manner, highlighting the ongoing challenges of navigating social sensitivities in India. — BBC
