Left Zomato once? Deepinder Goyal says ‘I want you back’ for 'next phase' of Eternal

Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal on Tuesday reached out to former employees of Eternal, inviting them to return to the company as it enters what he called its “next phase”.

In a post on X, Goyal said many ex-employees may have left because they did not find the right environment or leadership at the time, but stressed that the company has since evolved.

“We have over four hundred people at Eternal today in their second or third stints. Many of them are doing their best work now. Maybe because they’ve grown, but also because the company has grown,” he said, adding that Eternal is now “more organised” and “a little less chaotic”.

Urging former colleagues to reconnect, Goyal said he was not holding on to the past and that the door remained open.

“I want you back,” he wrote, encouraging those with “unfinished business” to reach out directly.

Goyal said Eternal has become a family of companies, including Zomato, Blinkit, Blinkit Ambulances, District, Hyperpure, Nugget and Feeding India, and needs people who already understand the organisation’s culture and standards.

The appeal comes weeks after Goyal stepped down as chief executive officer of Eternal, with Albinder Dhindsa taking over as group CEO. Goyal will continue on the board as vice chairman.

Explaining his decision in a January letter to shareholders, Goyal said he was increasingly drawn to higher-risk experimentation better pursued outside a public company.

“The expectations, legal and otherwise, of a public company CEO in India demand singular focus,” he said.

Dhindsa, who currently heads Eternal’s quick-commerce arm Blinkit, assumes the top role at a time when the segment is seen as the company’s biggest growth driver.

Goyal credited Dhindsa with leading Blinkit’s journey from acquisition to breakeven and praised his execution capabilities, saying he has “the DNA of a battle-hardened founder”.

Goyal has been exploring opportunities in regional aviation through LAT Aerospace, a startup focused on building low-cost short take-off and landing aircraft. He has clarified that LAT Aerospace is not part of Eternal.

He has also teased the launch of a new wearable from Temple, a device company he founded, and recently appeared on a podcast wearing a metallic clip said to monitor brain blood flow in real time.