Why Deepinder Goyal Wants Zomato Alumni Back

Deepinder Goyal’s latest public message does something quieter but more deliberate; it treats former employees as part of the company’s future, not its past.

In a post addressed directly to Zomato alumni, Goyal invited ex-employees to consider returning to Eternal Limited, regardless of how or why they left. The invitation applies equally to those who moved on by choice and those who were asked to leave.

“If you used to work at Zomato, whether you chose to move on, or I was the one who asked you to leave, this is for you.”

The note was personal in tone, but its implications are organisational. It arrives at a moment when Eternal is no longer a single company but a growing group with multiple businesses under one roof.

A Founder’s Note

Goyal acknowledged something founders rarely say in public, that Zomato, at different stages of its journey, may not have offered the right environment or leadership for everyone.

“I know that for many of you, Zomato didn't have the environment, or the leadership you needed at the time.”

At the same time, he pointed to an emotional connection many former employees still carry. According to Goyal, for some, Zomato felt like home in a way few workplaces do, and leaving did not always replace that sense of belonging.

That combination of honesty and familiarity sets the tone for the rest of the message. This is not framed as a correction of the past but as an opening for what comes next.

If you used to work at Zomato, whether you chose to move on, or I was the one who asked you to leave, this is for you.

I know that for many of you, Zomato didn't have the environment, or the leadership you needed at the time. But I know for sure, that you loved being at Zomato,…

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) February 3, 2026

How Eternal Has Changed Since the Early Zomato Days

What has shifted, Goyal suggests, is not just individual growth but the company itself. Eternal now operates as a family of businesses that includes Zomato, Blinkit Quick-Commerce, Blinkit Ambulances, District, Hyperpure, Nugget, and Feeding India.

With that expansion has come a different way of working.

“We are more organised, a little less chaotic,” Goyal wrote, adding that he has “learned a few things along the way too.”

The comment reflects a transition many startups face as they mature—moving from fast, reactive decision-making to more structured execution. Eternal, in this phase, appears less focused on surviving the next quarter and more on building systems that can scale across businesses.

Why Former Employees Are a Good Fit Right Now

One detail in the post gives the message weight. Goyal said Eternal already has over 400 people who are on their second or third stint with the organisation, with many doing what he described as their best work now.

That number shifts the narrative from sentiment to pattern.

In a group structure, returning employees bring context that new hires often lack. They understand internal trade-offs, decision-making rhythms, and what good execution looks like within the organisation.

As Goyal put it:

“We need people who already know what good looks like here, and who care enough to fight for it.”

For Eternal, familiarity reduces onboarding time and cultural drift—two challenges that tend to grow as companies add new lines of business.

Does the CEO Title Even Matter Here?

Goyal also addressed a question some former employees may be asking: whether Eternal is still the same place now that he is no longer the CEO.

“You might say that Eternal is not going to be the same, because I am not the CEO anymore. But ask yourself a question. Did titles ever matter at Eternal?”

The point reinforces a long-standing internal belief that influence at the company has never been strictly tied to hierarchy. Goyal made it clear that he remains closely involved, signalling continuity rather than distance.

For people considering a return, that founder presence can shape how decisions are made, how much autonomy teams have, and how open the organisation remains to challenge and debate.

Beyond Eternal, the message reflects a broader change in how mature startups think about talent. As the ecosystem moves past its early growth phase, the focus is shifting from constant churn to retention, re-engagement, and long-term relationships.

Boomerang hiring, once seen as a fallback option, is increasingly viewed as a way to bring stability and experience into organisations that have already been through rapid growth and correction cycles.

Goyal’s message makes that approach explicit. This is not a call driven by nostalgia, but by the belief that unfinished work still exists.

“If you feel like you have unfinished business here, please don't overthink it.”

The Door Is Open, This Time on Purpose

The post ends not with a careers link, but a direct invitation to write to back@eternal.com, along with a line that blends realism with conviction.

“The Gurgaon pollution is still a bug, but being at Eternal is the feature.”

It is a reminder that Eternal’s next phase is less about blitzscaling and more about building with people who understand both the cost of getting things wrong and the value of getting them right.

For a company that now spans multiple businesses, reopening the door to its own alumni may be one of its most practical talent decisions yet.