A day after his controversial job posting for Chief of Staff, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has revealed that his posting has received more than 18,000 applications, revealing the Rs 20 lakh fee requirement was merely a screening tool that won’t actually be implemented.
“We have closed applications for my chief of staff role. We have received more than 18,000 applications,” Goyal posted on X. He added that the company will review applications over the next week to find candidates who align with their vision of building a “learning organisation.”

In a surprising revelation, Goyal shared private messages showing the fee was never meant to be collected. “Between you and me, we will not eventually ask for 20 lacs, and pay the right person anyway,” he wrote in a message to a Twitter user.

The controversial job posting, which initially stated candidates would need to pay Rs 20 lakh and work without salary for a year, drew criticism from industry leaders including industrialist Harsh Goenka, who called it “potentially exploitative.”
Addressing the backlash, Goyal explained, “This wasn’t just another hiring post. As some people pointed out, the ‘you have to pay us 20 lacs’ was merely a filter, to find people who had the power to appreciate the opportunity of a fast track career.”

The company plans to reject most applications that focus on money. “We are going to find genuine intent and learning mindset from the sea of applications we have received,” Goyal stated.
Concluding his update, Goyal emphasised this was a one-time experiment. “Something like this can only be pulled off once in the world,” he wrote, adding, “I really hope that ‘pay the company to get a job’ doesn’t become a norm in this world – that’s not cool. Money is an essential thing to keep people’s lives running, and I believe in paying more than market rate.”
The selected candidate will work across Zomato’s portfolio, including Blinkit, District, Hyperpure, and Feeding India.