After bindi, tilak row, Lenskart releases dress code allowing religious symbols: ‘Part of who we are’
Lenskart has made its in-store dress and grooming policy public after coming under fire for alleged restrictions on religious expression. The move comes just days after social media posts and employee accounts raised concerns that certain religious symbols were not treated equally during internal audits.
In a statement released Saturday, the company said it was standardizing and transparently sharing its style guide to eliminate uncertainty around its policies.
The newly shared rules state that employees are allowed to wear religious and cultural insignia such as bindi, tilak, sindoor, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada, hijab and turban while at work.
The company emphasized that these are not exceptions, but an integral part of the workplace identity. In the statement, it was stated that “Lenskart was built by Indians for Indians in Bharat” and that employees in its more than 2,400 stores bring their traditions and beliefs to work every day.
The company also acknowledged that previous communications about workplace policies may have caused concern among employees and apologized to those affected.
The controversy began when a user on social media platform X shared what was described as an internal document regarding Lenskart’s style guide. The document allegedly allows certain religious attire, such as black headscarves, but does not mention Hindu religious signs such as tilak or bindi.
Following this, many current and former employees shared their experiences with the public, claiming that their audit scores were influenced by religious expressions.
One such statement came from a former store manager in Pune who claimed that staff lost inspection points for wearing kalawa, a sacred thread worn during religious rituals. Another former employee claimed that concerns about unequal treatment of religious symbols were raised with the company’s human resources team but were not formally addressed.
The employee also alleged that salary-related incentives were affected by the results of the audit and claimed that his employment was terminated after he lodged a complaint through a government-run complaints portal.
Mint was unable to independently verify these claims.
Peyush Bansal made the issue public by stating that the document circulating on the internet was not an official HR policy but an outdated internal training file.
He said the document contained an inaccurate reference to religious symbols and was removed in February before the issue gained attention online. Bansal admitted that the carelessness should have been detected earlier and said the company took responsibility for the resulting mess.
Company Has Not Yet Addressed Individual Requests
While Lenskart has issued a broader statement and apology, it has not issued a detailed response to the specific allegations made by individual employees.
The company said the updated style guide reflects its current stance and will be applied consistently across stores, with a commitment to review policies regularly.
