'Will never restrict religious expression': Lenskart founder Peyush Bansal reacts to viral employee grooming policy

Lenskart founder Peyush Bansal has denied claims that the company’s current grooming guidelines allow the hijab while restricting a bindi, tilak, or kalawa.

He accepted that the circulating document is genuine, but is not an HR policy of the organization.

Bansal said, “The document currently circulating is an outdated internal training document. It is not an HR policy. That said, it contained an incorrect line about bindi/tilak that should never have been written and does not reflect our values or actual practice. When we discovered this on February 17, well before this became a public conversation, we immediately removed it.”

“But I should have caught this earlier. As Founder and CEO, the responsibility for such lapses is mine. I have asked my team to bring all such materials under stricter review, and I will personally ensure this is addressed going forward. We are also looking into how this found its way into our training content,” he added.

The clarification came after the “Lenskart Staff Uniform and Grooming Guide” went viral online, triggering allegations of religious bias.

What is the controversy?

A widely shared screenshot claimed that employees were permitted to wear a hijab but barred from wearing a bindi or tilak.

The guide reportedly allowed store staff to wear a black hijab during shifts and also permitted black turbans. However, it stated, “Religious tikka/tilak and Bindi/Sticker is not allowed.” A bindi is commonly worn by Hindu women, while tilak can be worn by both men and women.

The issue gained traction after a post on X by Shefali Vaidya, a known right wing commentator, who shared the screenshot and questioned the policy.

She wrote, “So I confirmed, this is genuine. This is what @peyushbansal tells his employees, hijab is okay, but bindi/tilak/Kalawa is not, for @Lenskart_com, a company that exists in Hindu majority Bharat, where most of the employees and consumers are Hindu! What do you say to this? This is page 11 of the Lenskart style guide for employees.”

The post drew widespread criticism, prompting Bansal to clarify that the document does not reflect current policy in his earlier statement and apologized for it.  

He said, “Hi, all. I’ve been seeing an inaccurate policy document going viral about Lenskart. I want to speak directly that this document does not reflect our present guidelines.”

“Our policy has no restrictions on any form of religious expression, including bindi and tilak, and we continue to review our guidelines regularly,” Bansal said.

“Our grooming policy has evolved over the years and outdated versions do not represent who we are today. We apologize for the confusion and concern this situation has caused,” he added.

The controversy sparked strong reactions online, with some users criticising the alleged policy and calling for a boycott. Community Notes on X indicated that the document was issued in February 2026.

Responding to Bansal, Shefali Vaidya questioned his explanation and asked him to share the updated policy.

She wrote, “Sorry, this explanation makes NO sense. Please point out why is the document I have shared ‘inaccurate’. It is from February 2026. And if it does not reflect your ‘current guidelines’ as you say, please share the current guidelines. Also, even if it is an old document as you say, why was religious asymmetry okay then? What is the logic behind allowing hijab and a Sikh turban but not allowing bindi, sindoor and kalawa in a Hindu majority country where your customers are mostly Hindus?”

Several others also asked him to make the current policy public.