Deepinder Goyal has pushed back against criticism of Temple, his ₹85,000 brain-monitoring wearable, after questions were raised over its claims of measuring blood flow to the brain. Responding to questions raised by doctors, the Zomato founder said the company was confident in its research and denied that the product was a scam.

The controversy gained attention after hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, widely known online as The Liver Doc, criticised the device and described it as "the biggest health scam and wellness fraud in India". He questioned whether Temple could accurately measure blood flow to the brain.

In a post on X addressed to Indian doctors, Goyal said the company had invested $30 million in developing Temple, including $20 million from his personal funds. He argued that the company's 14-day, no-questions-asked return policy allowed customers to return the product if it failed to meet their expectations.

"Selling a few thousand devices recovers a small fraction of this investment. A scam that pays nothing is not a scam anyone would run," he wrote.

Goyal also said his decision to step down as CEO of Eternal, the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, was driven by his interest in developing Temple rather than financial gains. He added that he was not willing to risk a reputation built over two decades for a quick profit.

He further claimed that employees had invested in an earlier funding round, while the latest round was largely backed by customers.

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