Zomato reinstates employee who said `Hindi is our national language`

New Delhi: A simple complaint over a meal delivery mishap evolved into an unpleasant experience for a Tamil-speaking Zomato customer, who was told that he needed to learn Hindi because it was India's "national language."

Vikash revealed the incident when he tweeted about his interaction with a customer service representative after a miscommunication regarding his food order. 

He also posted images of his interaction with the Zomato CEO, revealing that he was unable to secure a refund for an order due to a miscommunication between Zomato and the restaurant from which he had purchased.

The executive blamed the mistake on a language barrier, but when Vikash suggested that they could have sent someone who spoke Tamil, the executive shocked him by saying, "For your kind information, Hindi is our native language." As a result, it is fairly normal for everyone to know a little Hindi."

People took to social media after Vikash's tweet about his bad experience went viral, slamming the meal delivery app for the executive's dumb remarks.

Zomato made an official statement on Twitter in response to the backlash, as well as an apology to Vikash. It further acknowledged that the executive had been fired, while also emphasizing that the individual's views do not reflect the company's attitude on language and diversity.

Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal too took to Twitter and said, “An ignorant mistake by someone in a support centre of a food delivery company became a national issue. The level of tolerance and chill in our country needs to be way higher than it is nowadays. Who’s to be blamed here?"

In another tweet, Goyal said that the agent had been restored, claiming that the incident was merely a learning experience for him and not a basis for his dismissal.

Imposition of Hindi in the southern region of the country has been a major concern in recent years, with various individuals emphasizing the matter based on their personal experiences. With events like these, pan-India brands should devote more resources to effectively comprehending the country's diversity.

#mute