Comedians roast Zomato for platform fees, surge pricing. How CEO Deepinder Goyal reacted?
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa, and enthusiastic employees, featured prominent comedians poking fun at the company’s recent policies and practices.
A Roast to Remember
The comedy roast was headlined by comedians like Swati Sachdeva, Gaurav Kapoor, and Samay Raina. Sachdeva took the stage with sharp observations about Zomato’s operational decisions, including the recent hike in platform fees and the contentious surge pricing during rainy weather.
In her opening, she humorously thanked Goyal for the opportunity to perform, quipping, “Now I just hope you don’t charge a platform fee for this as well.”
Sachdeva also criticized Zomato’s practice of applying rain surge pricing even when there is no rain, joking that product managers rush to the terrace to check for clouds before implementing the surcharge. The audience responded with laughter, while Goyal himself enjoyed the good-natured ribbing.
Turning her attention to Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa, Sachdeva questioned the logic behind adding handling charges to grocery orders, reasoning that delivery personnel naturally handle groceries as part of their job. This drew sheepish laughter from the audience and left Goyal in splits.
Marketing Genius
The roast was part of a larger celebration of Zomato’s 16th birthday. The platform also celebrated in its own unique way with a creative full-page advertisement in a leading newspaper.
The ad, styled like a political pamphlet, featured a large, smiling photo of Zomato’s founder and CEO
