'Bindi & Tilak Not Allowed, But Hijab Is OK?' Lenskart Under Fire Over Dress Code Rules; Peyush Bansal Reacts

As the TCS Nashik case is grabbing headlines across the country with allegations of sexual exploitation and forced religious conversion another document has now cropped up on the Internet about Lenskart's policies for 'acceptable dress code' for their employees. A user on X shared an internal document showcasing discriminatory grooming rules at Lenskart.

In a detailed X post, Vaidya pointed out that the company's official Style Guide (Version 11.1, dated February 2) explicitly permitted hijab for female employees while strictly prohibiting visible Hindu symbols like bindi, tilak, and kalawa.

The document, hosted on Scribd, was labelled as internal training material for Lenskart staff.

According to the leaked guide, the policy listed 'hijab' under acceptable head coverings but barred 'bindi/tilak/kalawa' from being visible. Vaidya questioned founder and CEO Peyush Bansal directly, asking why an Indian company in a Hindu-majority nation would enforce such a lopsided rule. The post quickly went viral, triggering widespread outrage and accusations of selective secularism and anti-Hindu bias in corporate India.

'Outdated document, never our policy', says Peyush Bansal

Facing massive backlash, Peyush Bansal responded with two detailed statements on X. He admitted the circulating document was an 'outdated internal training document' that did not reflect Lenskart's current guidelines.

Bansal stated clearly, "The company has no restrictions on any form of religious expression, including bindi and tilak." He took personal responsibility as founder and CEO, apologising for the lapse and promising stricter reviews of all internal materials.

In his follow-up post, Bansal emphasised, "Lenskart does not and will never restrict any form of respectful religious expression. This includes bindi, tilak, or any such symbols of faith. Our team members have always been, and will always be, free to express their beliefs with pride."

He added that thousands of Lenskart employees across Bharat already wear their faith and culture proudly, calling the company "built in Bharat, by Indians, for Indians."

The episode has reignited larger questions about religious neutrality in Indian corporates. Critics argue that allowing hijab while banning bindi/tilak sends a clear message that one community's visible faith is "professional" while another's is not – especially ironic in a nation where Hindus form the overwhelming majority of both workforce and customers.