India's Billion-Dollar Company Asks Job Seekers To Pay RM105,900 Fee To Work For Them
Work for free at Zomato and pay a fee?
By Sukhbir Cheema — 22 Nov 2024, 03:57 PM
Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Indian food delivery giant Zomato, has stirred controversy with an unconventional job posting for the company's chief of staff vacancy
The position, advertised on X (formerly Twitter), offers no salary for the first year but requires candidates to pay a fee of 2 million rupees (approximately RM105,900).
Goyal pitched the opportunity as an investment in unparalleled professional growth, claiming it would provide "10x more learnings than a two-year top-tier management degree".
He assured that, if successful, the candidate would earn a minimum annual salary of 5 million rupees (around RM264,750) starting from the second year.
Critics argue the hefty fee creates barriers for talented but less affluent individuals
Diversity advocate Aparna Mittal described it as "privilege creating opportunities for the privileged".
Former Flipkart executive Deepak Singh added, "It excludes ambitious folks from middle-class backgrounds."
Supporters, however, praised Goyal's vision. According to Reuters, Tech programmer Arnav Gupta called it "worth way more" for anyone aiming for a career in management or strategy, comparing it favourably to traditional MBA programs.
The job posting has gained significant attention, amassing over 13.6 million views
Zomato's share price doubled this year, and the company is now valued at over USD28 billion (RM125 billion).
Much of India's food delivery success is credited to Goyal, who played an instrumental part in growing the company.
Zomato, which has expanded into quick delivery services like Blinkit, has remained silent on the backlash.
