A social media controversy involving Lenskart has gained attention after claims about its employee grooming and uniform rules were shared online. A screenshot that went viral suggested that the company allowed some forms of religious expression while restricting others.
Writer Shefali Vaidya, who has a large following on X, also shared the screenshot and questioned the alleged policy. Her post suggested that the company’s internal rules treated religious symbols differently.
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 led to strong reactions online, with several users criticising the alleged policy and raising concerns about fairness in workplace rules. One user wrote, “Hindu employees denied the right to wear kumkum/bindi, while hijab is allowed? Double standards must end.”
Another added, “Thanks for this information. I will never ever buy any glasses from Lenskart recently family members went to India and had their glasses done there. I’m going to tell them all not to ever spend any money in this anti-Hindu establishment.”
A third user said, “Just stupidity. What a shameful company is Lenskart. what’s the harm they see with bindi/ tilak. They want to run business in India and they want to hurt people’s sentiments.”
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… https://t.co/jQ2EPdWPJM pic.twitter.com/SWfOajOjpo
— Shefali Vaidya. 🇮🇳 (@ShefVaidya) April 15, 2026
In response to the criticism, Peyush Bansal, the founder of Lenskart, clarified on X that the paper circulating does not represent the company’s current policy.
He wrote, “I’ve been seeing an inaccurate policy document going viral about Lenskart. I want to state clearly that our current guidelines are not reflected in this text. Any kind of religious manifestation, including bindi and tilak, is unrestricted by our policy, and we are always reviewing our rules.
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…
— Peyush Bansal (@peyushbansal) April 15, 2026
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…
— Peyush Bansal (@peyushbansal) April 15, 2026
He further added, “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. We as a company, continue to learn and build. Any lapses in our language or policies have and will continue to be addressed.”
He also said, “We have thousands of team members across Bharat who wear their faith and culture proudly every day at our stores. They are Lenskart. Lenskart was built in Bharat, by Indians, for Indians. Every symbol and every tradition our people carry is a part of who we are as a company. I will never let that be compromised.”
