Zomato, a global restaurant aggregator and food delivery platform valued at over $15 billion as of 2024, was co-founded and is led by Indian entrepreneur Deepinder Goyal, who was born on January 26, 1983. Goyal turned Zomato from a tiny startup in 2008 into a tech unicorn, transforming the Indian food tech sector with cutting-edge online delivery and restaurant discovery tools. He is a well-known figure in India’s startup scene thanks to his vision and leadership.
Early Life
Born on January 26, 1983, in Muktsar, Punjab, India, Deepinder Goyal comes from a middle-class Punjabi family. His mother instilled a value for education by teaching English, and his father, Harbans Lal Goyal, taught botany. Goyal struggled academically from a young age, almost failing his Class 6 exams and continuing to struggle until Class 8. When a teacher gave him a solved answer sheet, it was a game-changer for him. It increased his confidence and helped him place third in his class. His commitment resulted in a fifth-place ranking on semester exams by Class 8, which ignited a passion for excellence that lasted a lifetime.
Education
Goyal’s academic turnaround culminated in clearing the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Joint Entrance Examination on his first attempt. He enrolled at IIT Delhi, earning an integrated M.Tech in Mathematics and Computing in 2005. At IIT, he engaged in entrepreneurial activities through the college’s entrepreneurial cell and business competitions, laying the foundation for his future ventures. His technical education equipped him with analytical skills critical to scaling Zomato’s technology-driven platform.
Career
Upon graduation, Goyal was hired by Bain & Company back in Gurgaon in Haryana as Associate Consultant in 2006. Noticing annoyance by friends in long lines to buy food, he came up with a solution of how to find restaurants. He co-founded Foodiebay (later renamed Zomato) in July 2008, together with Pankaj Chaddah, a listing site of restaurants and their menus in order to avoid conflicts over the trademark with eBay. The initial significant investor in Zomato was InfoEdge in the year 2010, which facilitated venture into a food delivery business by the year 2015. Goyal also made strategic acquisitions such as that of Uber Eats India in the year 2020 to strengthen the dominance of Zomato in the market. The 2021 IPO of the company, 9375 crore INR, was a milestone, and Zomato currently operates in more than 24 countries and delivers to millions of customers on a daily basis. Goyal is very committed to the concept of sustainability, which resulted in Zomato making a net-zero emissions commitment by 2030 and pursuing other environmentally friendly solutions, such as electric vehicle deliveries. He has also been a shark on Shark Tank India Season 3, which advances the culture of startups, but a sponsorship issue with Swiggy caused him to be excluded on Season 4.
Personal Life
Goyal wed mathematician Kanchan Joshi of Delhi University in 2007, whom he had met on IIT Delhi. They are parents of a daughter, Siara born in 2013. The two divorced later, and in February 2024, Goyal got married to Grecia Muoz a Mexican model and business owner. Goyal divides his time between an illustrious career and a secluded personal life, sharing thoughts over social media on the topics of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Awards and Honors
- Co-founder, and CEO of Zomato, worth 15 billion (2024)
- Successful IPO achieved by Led Zomato in 2021 that obtained 9375 crore 2021
- A Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2011) on Forbes
- Ernst and Young (2023) Entrepreneur of the Year; finalist
- Economic Times Startup of the year (2014)
- Initiated green delivery through the net-zero commitment (2030) with Zomato
