Success Story of Zomato Founder Deepinder Goyal

Introduction

Meet Deepinder Goyal, the Zomato CEO and the new face on Shark Tank India Season 3. He recently got a lot of praise for being really sharp with details. During a recent pitch, he spotted a huge mistake on a company's poster – a phone number with only nine digits instead of ten. He pointed it out, asking, "Where is the attention to detail?" 

This made people compare him to Judge Ashneer, who was also known for his strict feedback in the first two seasons. Now, everyone's curious about the person who helps bring them their favorite everyday food.

So, in this blog, we will talk about Deepinder's life and how he became known for creating Zomato.

 

Early Life and Education

Deepinder comes from Muktsar, Punjab and like many of us faced challenges in school. He openly shares about his early struggles, even admitting to trying to cheat once. This experience, however, became a crucial learning moment that shaped his understanding of right and wrong. While he wasn't the strongest student initially, requiring his father's support to advance one year, 

Deepinder's honesty and willingness to learn set him on a path of growth and self-discovery. He remembers occasional feelings of being down, but instead of letting them hold him back, he used them as fuel for his motivation, pushing him to continue his hunger for improvement.

 

 

Deepinder's IIT Dream

At the Chandigarh Institute for IIT preparation, the competition was hard. Yet, Deepinder Goyal excelled, his intelligence shining through. His time at IIT Delhi wasn't just about academics, it was where the entrepreneurial spark started. Witnessing long lines for food orders, he envisioned a more convenient way to eat, an idea that turned into Zomato.

 

Personal Details

Learn about Deepinder Goyal, the person behind Zomato. Discover easy-to-understand details about his life, family, and key qualities, adding a personal touch to the story.

 

• Full Name: Deepinder Goyal

• Date of Birth: 26 January 1983

• Age: 41 Years (as of 2024)

• Hometown: Muktsar, Punjab, India

• Company Founded: Zomato Limited

• Current Position: Director & CEO of Zomato

• Current City: New Delhi, India

• Parents: Father - Harbans Lal Goyal

• Marital Status: Married

• Spouse: Grecia Munoz

 

 

Entrepreneurial Journey of Deepinder Goyal

Back in 2008, Deepinder, a regular guy working at a company, noticed something annoying, long lines for food. This sparked an idea in his head - what if there was an easier way to order and eat? That's how Zomato, originally called "Foodiebay," was born.

Teaming up with a friend, Deepinder started their food delivery company in 2008. After a year, they changed the name to Zomato and started taking it global, reaching places like Dubai, South Africa, and Canada.

Zomato, under Deepinder Goyal's leadership, went further than delivering just food. They acquired companies like Blinkit (a fast grocery delivery app) and Feeding India (tackling hunger). They also launched Hyperpure for clean water. These "sister companies" collaborate to improve the food world.

Click Here to Learn more about Blinkit in our detailed blog.

Even when times were tough, like during the pandemic, Deepinder didn't give up. He came up with new ideas like contactless delivery and grocery shopping, showing how clever and adaptable he is.

 

Facing Challenges

When corona hit, Zomato's food delivery business almost stopped. But Deepinder didn't give up. He came up with new ideas, like delivering groceries and letting people order food without touching anything. This helped Zomato survive and even grow stronger.

Before this, Zomato also had problems, like getting money and convincing people to use it. But Deepinder Goyal never stopped trying, and Zomato became super popular. He even made it work in other countries. Now, Zomato does more than just deliver food. It helps people order food online and find new places to eat.

An important step in Deepinder Goyal's business journey was when Zomato became a publicly traded company in 2021. This meant people could buy shares in the company, bringing a lot of attention and investment. Deepinder Goyal is still working to improve Zomato by using new technology, focusing on sustainability, and making dining experiences better for everyone.

 

Personal and Professional Achievements

On July 13, 2022, Zomato celebrated its 14th birthday, marking a big achievement in its journey. It was also named the startup of the year in 2021. Starting small and becoming a global food delivery giant shows how determined and visionary Deepinder Goyal is.

Deepinder Goyal's unstoppable commitment helped him go from a middle-class background to building a unicorn, and Zomato went from tough times to changing the food delivery industry. His story serves as an inspiration for young aspiring entrepreneurs.

 

Personal Achievements:

• 2011: ET Startup of the Year Award (India)

• 2012: Business Today Young Business Leader Award (India)

• 2018: Distinguished Alumni Award from IIT Delhi (India)

• 2019: GQ Men of the Year Award (India)

• 2020: Fortune India 40 Under 40 List

• 2024: Appeared as a judge in shark tank Season 3

 

Zomato Milestones:

• 2008: Founded as FoodieBay, later rebranded as Zomato

• 2011: Launched online ordering platform

• 2014: Expanded internationally to UAE

• 2015: Acquired Runner, a food delivery startup

• 2017: Became India's first unicorn startup (valuation over $1 billion)

• 2019: Launched grocery delivery service

• 2021: IPO (Initial Public Offering) on the Indian stock exchange

• 2023: Expanded to 23 countries worldwide

 

Shark Tank India Season 3:

Deepinder recently joined the Shark Tank Season 3 panel and is earning praise for his keen observations. In a pitch by a fitness company called WTF – Witness the Fitness, he noticed a big mistake on their poster - a wrong phone number with only nine digits instead of ten. He highlighted the nine-digit phone number on national television, underlining the importance of attention to detail for potential investors. Deepinder also suggested that even small errors, like grammatical mistakes on resumes, can impact job opportunities. After this incident people started comparing him to previous seasons' judge Ashneer Grover.

 

If you're curious about Shark Tank Season 3, Click Here to check out this fantastic blog on our website with over 50K views.

 

 

Investments and Net Worth

Here are the investments Goyal has made in various startups, contributing to the growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. With a current net worth of ₹2,030 crores, Goyal's success story is an inspiration for aspiring business leaders.

 

• Mainstreet (June 26, 2023): $2M (Seed Round)

• Threado (July 27, 2022): $3.1M (Seed Round)

• Allo Health (January 13, 2022): $4.4M (Seed Round)

• The Signal (January 12, 2022): $281K (Seed Round)

• Shiprocket (December 10, 2021): $185M (Series E)

• Pristyn Care (December 07, 2021): $100M (Series E)

• ChefKart (November 27, 2021): $2M (Seed Round)

• Raise (November 26, 2021): $22.7M (Series A)

• Multiplier (November 01, 2021): $13.2M (Series A)

• Park+ (October 29, 2021): $25M (Series B)

• Ultrahuman (August 14, 2021): $17.5M (Series B)

• Unacademy (August 01, 2021): $440M (Series H)

• Animall (July 13, 2021): $13.8M (Series B)

• Genie-mode (July 10, 2021): $2.25M (Seed Round)

• Shiprocket (July 08, 2021): $41.3M (Series D)

• Airblack (May 01, 2021): $5.2M (Series A)

• Uni Cards (October 06, 2020): $18.7M (Seed Round)

• Terra.do (August 11, 2020): $1.4M (Seed Round)

 

Deepinder Goyal's diverse investments showcase a strategic approach to support startups across various industries.

 

Did You Know?

Despite his tech background, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal is a poetry lover and a bibliophile. He even published a book for an ideal workspace culture known as “Culture”.

 

 

Conclusion

Deepinder Goyal, from a middle-class background, built a successful company, Zomato, showing grit and vision. He invests in startups and values human connection, evident in his love for poetry and his book "Culture." His journey teaches that success requires passion, perseverance, and adaptability - an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.