Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has announced recruitment for the post of Chief of Staff. This role comes with a shocking condition: no salary in the first year, and the selected candidate will be required to pay Rs 20 lakh as fees. Sounds weird, right? Let’s break it down to understand what the job is and whether you will get paid or not.

The company says this job offer, which is based at Zomato’s headquarters in Gurugram, is aimed at individuals with a strong desire to learn and grow. In a detailed post on LinkedIn, Goyal specified that the ideal candidate would be someone with “hunger,” “empathy,” and “common sense,” but without significant prior experience or a sense of authority.

“This role is not about resume building or financial benefits,” Goyal wrote. “This is for those who want to learn and contribute to building the future of Zomato, Blinkit, Hyperpure and Feeding India.”

The fee of Rs 20 lakh, which candidates will have to donate directly to Feeding India – a Zomato non-profit initiative, has raised eyebrows. Goyal clarified that this requirement is to ensure that applicants are motivated by the learning opportunity and not monetary gains.

Although there is no salary in the first year, Zomato is promising to donate Rs 50 lakh to a charity of the candidate’s choice – an amount equivalent to the typical salary for such a role. From the second year onwards, the Chief of Staff will receive a competitive salary of more than Rs 50 lakh per annum.

But, how can you apply for it? Applicants are instructed to submit a cover letter of 200 words directly to Goyal, without attaching the biodata. Selection will be entirely based on the content of the letter.

“This is a fast-track learning opportunity,” Goyal wrote, comparing the role to a high-intensity, real-world management course.

This announcement has triggered a mixture of praise and criticism. Supporters see the offering as a rare opportunity to learn directly from a leading entrepreneur, especially for those interested in the consumer tech industry. However, critics argue that the fee of Rs 20 lakh makes the role inaccessible to most candidates, effectively restricting it to those with significant financial privilege.

By defining the Chief of Staff position as a learning opportunity rather than a traditional job, Goyal suggested that he was trying to change the concept of professional development within corporate India.