Foodtech startup Zomato makes a case for cognitive diversity
Foodtech startup Zomato says the COVID-19 pandemic is no reason to stall the crucial agenda of diversity and inclusion and announced five independent board members, four of whom are women.
Delhi-based foodtech unicorn said the startup is prioritising cognitive diversity across levels and onboarded five independent members to its board of eight people.
Notable women like professional badminton player Aparna Popat, Zalora Group CEO Gunjan Tilak Raj Soni, Airveda founder Namita Gupta, financial service industry veteran Sutapa Banerjee are four of the five independent directors on the startup’s board.
Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO of Zomato, said, “Till now, we (Zomato) had a largely investor run board. But today, I'm elated to share that we have five independent members on our board of eight people, four of whom are women. Having gender diversity on our board was a baseline, not a north star. More than gender diversity, we wanted to achieve cognitive diversity on our board.”
The startup said it is committed to levelling the playing field for younger professionals hailing from diverse educational backgrounds.
“A number of companies start with a diverse employee base at the entry level, but it reduces significantly over time, and at senior levels. We decided to turn the paradigm on its head by introducing diversity with our Board of Directors,” he wrote in a blogpost.
The startup highlighted its commitment to being an inclusive workplace through initiatives such as extending an equal parental leave policy for men, women, same-sex, surrogate, or adoptive parents.
In August 2020, it made an important stride in ensuring gender equity by rolling out period leave policy for female employees and transgender people. With 10 period leaves per year, the startup emphasised that women employees should not be ashamed or feel stigmatised while applying for a period leave.
Zomato also stated that the focus on building inclusive and diverse growth should not take a backseat amidst the raging second COVID-19 wave. More than 20 percent of Zomato’s employees either have COVID-19 or are caring for a COVID-19 patient in their household.
Edited by Kanishk Singh