Goyal Hits Back: Zomato CEO Defends ‘Temple’ Wearable Amid Doctor Criticism

Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has hit back at mounting scepticism over his experimental Temple wearable, after doctors publicly questioned its scientific credibility and dismissed it as a “toy.” 

The controversy began when Goyal appeared on entrepreneur Raj Shamani’s podcast, wearing a small metallic clip-like device near his temple. He later revealed it was Temple, an early-stage prototype designed to measure “brain flow” in real time. Goyal positioned it as part of his personal research into human longevity, not a Zomato consumer product. 

The device drew sharp criticism from Dr. Datta, a radiologist at AIIMS Delhi, who said Temple had “zero scientific standing” and lacked clinical data to support its usefulness. His remarks sparked a wider online debate, shifting the conversation from curiosity to credibility. 

Responding on X (Twitter), Goyal pushed back: 

“We haven’t made any public commercial announcements about Temple yet. We haven’t released any official device benchmarking data. A lot of the work is still underway; we’re months away from introducing preview devices to the public, if at all.” 

He added that critics were advising people not to buy an “unvalidated” device that isn’t even available to order or pre-order yet, calling the situation “funny.” Goyal promised that scientific data would be shared if and when Temple is sold, urging skeptics to “be curious, and cheer Indian startups.” 

The debate also drew constructive suggestions. Dr. Sudhir Kumar, neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, advised Goyal to place the device over the internal carotid artery in the neck rather than the superficial temporal artery, arguing that ICA blood flow is more likely to correlate with cerebral blood flow. 

Goyal acknowledged the advice but kept the tone light, even joking with emojis in replies. Other users compared Temple to biohacker Bryan Johnson’s experiments, but Goyal insisted, “No we don’t. We need to be our own original selves.” Another user suggested a more practical wearable to measure blood pressure, highlighting public interest in everyday health tools. 

For now, Temple remains an unreleased prototype, months away from any public preview. But Goyal’s sharp response has ensured the debate over curiosity versus credibility will continue, with doctors demanding validation and supporters cheering innovation. 

Read More: Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal's 'Temple' Device Draws Ire, AIIMS Doctor Calls It A 'Toy'