A restaurant owner in India's capital has made serious allegations against the food delivery giant Zomato, claiming the platform is deliberately interfering with his business operations. Gagandeep Singh Sapra, who runs the popular eatery Tadka Rani in the upscale Greater Kailash 1 neighborhood of Delhi, has brought forward video evidence to support his claims of systematic bias.
Video Proof of Alleged Manipulation
In a detailed screen recording shared on social media platform X, Sapra demonstrated his concerns. The video shows him searching for his own restaurant, Tadka Rani, on the Zomato application, where it consistently appears as 'unavailable' for order placement. To provide context, he then searches for several other dining establishments operating in the immediate vicinity, all of which are displayed as active and readily accepting orders from customers.
Posting this clip publicly, Sapra did not mince words. "Here's video proof of how rider allocation is being manipulated at Zomato," he stated. He further elaborated that his restaurant faces this issue most acutely during peak business hours, a time when order volumes are highest, while competing outlets located mere meters away continue to receive rider assignments without any disruption.
Broader Accusations of Commission Pressure
The restaurateur's grievances extend beyond technical glitches. In a subsequent message, Sapra presented a more alarming accusation. He alleged that Zomato's repeated marking of Tadka Rani as unavailable is a deliberate tactic to coerce him into accepting significantly higher commission rates.
He expressed his frustration in writing, claiming, "It's all a game of increase our commission, from the current 52+% that they take on sales, to let's say a whopping 99% of each sale." Sapra directly referenced Deepinder Goyal, the CEO of Zomato's parent company, Eternal, suggesting a failure to control team members who are "rigging the system." He emphasized that he had been persistently following up on this disruptive issue for 31 consecutive days without finding a resolution from the company's support teams.
Zomato's Response and Ongoing Dialogue
The public call-out prompted a response from a top Zomato executive. Aditya Mangla, who serves as the CEO of Food Delivery at Zomato, replied to Sapra's post on the social media platform. He acknowledged the complaint and assured the restaurant owner that the matter would be looked into. "Thank you for sharing this. I'm getting this checked," Mangla wrote.
While appreciating the executive's direct response, Sapra highlighted the prolonged nature of the problem. He replied to Mangla, stating, "Thank you Aditya ji, means a lot you reached out. I have written to all your team members and have several meetings, yesterday was 31st Day, and no one seems to see a resolve." This exchange underscores the significant challenges small business owners sometimes face when dealing with large tech platforms, where communication gaps can lead to extended operational and financial difficulties.
