Restaurant India News: Eternal Grants 74.18 Lakh ESOPs to Employees, Valued at Rs 167 Crore

Eternal, the parent entity of Zomato, has approved a fresh allocation of employee stock options (ESOPs) covering 74.18 lakh equity shares, according to filings with the stock exchanges.

The company’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee cleared the grant of 64.13 lakh stock options to eligible employees under multiple schemes, including the Foodie Bay Employee Stock Option Plan 2014, Zomato Employee Stock Option Plan 2021 and Zomato Employee Stock Option Plan 2024.

This follows a similar issuance in October last year, when the company had granted 64.13 lakh ESOPs under its existing plans. At the current market price of Rs 224.7 per share, the newly approved stock options are valued at approximately Rs 167 crore. Each stock option can be converted into one fully paid-up equity share with a face value of Rs 1.

The exercise timelines vary across the schemes. Under ESOP 2014 and ESOP 2021, employees are allowed to exercise their options within 10 years from the date of vesting or 12 years from the date of listing, whichever is later. For ESOP 2024, the exercise period extends up to 10 years from the date of vesting.

As per the latest shareholding data, employee trusts collectively hold 54.56 crore ESOP options, accounting for around 6 percent of the company’s total equity base.

The move reflects continued focus on employee retention and long-term incentives in a competitive delivery and restaurant ecosystem. Talent across supply chain, operations and customer experience functions remains critical for platform-led food businesses scaling across urban and tier 2 markets.

In its financial performance for the third quarter of FY26, Eternal reported revenue from operations of Rs 16,315 crore and a profit of Rs 102 crore, indicating stable growth in its core food delivery and adjacent business segments.