In what has turned into one of the biggest trending job updates this week, Deepinder Goyal, founder and Vice Chairman of Eternal, parent company of Zomato, revealed that more than 8,000 emails poured in within a week after he invited former team members to reapply.
Sharing a detailed post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Goyal wrote, “Over the last week, we received over 8,000 emails. About 4,000 from people who have been part of the Eternal journey at some point. Rest from people who haven’t worked here but want to. Thank you so much for this. I didn’t expect this at all.”
He added that many of the emails were deeply personal.
"Most of these emails are stories, and are full of emotions and honesty. There’s a lot of context and history in them,” he said, explaining that several messages referred to experiences from five, ten, or even fifteen years ago. Goyal pointed out that the current Eternal team does not always have the background to fully understand these stories. Because of that, he said he would need to go through them himself.
“The only person who can truly read these emails and know who to respond to is me. And it is not humanly possible for me to read through 8,000 emails, and pick and choose the right ones to respond to, quickly.”
A quick update on back@eternal.com
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) February 11, 2026
Over the last week, we received over 8,000 emails. About 4,000 from people who have been part of the Eternal journey at some point. Rest from people who haven't worked here but want to. Thank you so much for this. I didn't expect this at all.…
He made it clear that the process is still ongoing. “We are still going through every single one. It will take time.”
For those who had worked closely with him and were waiting for a reply, he offered a faster option. “But if you worked with me directly, and you wrote in, and you are waiting for a reply, here is what will work quickly: find my number and WhatsApp me. Looking forward to reconnect.”
Overwhelmed netizens
The post quickly triggered conversations online about workplace culture, long term professional bonds and leadership recall. Many users said the response showed the kind of connections Goyal built over the years.
One user commented, “The fact that 4,000 former team members wrote back says a lot about the culture you’ve built. That kind of recall doesn’t happen by accident.”
Another wrote, “8,000 messages isn’t volume, it’s legacy.” One person criticised, "India’s greatest technology company still needs humans to manually read emails?"
Other users asked for his number to connect.
Earlier, on February 3, Goyal had posted an open message inviting former employees to return. He said the company had evolved, learnt from earlier experiences and was ready to welcome back those who were once part of Zomato’s journey.
What started as an open call has now become a talking point in India’s job and startup ecosystem, with thousands hoping to reconnect with the company’s next chapter.
