Deepinder Goyal breaks silence amid criticism over Temple device from doctors, influencers : ‘We’re months away from…’

Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Eternal, Zomato's parent company, clarified on Friday, 9 January, that no public announcements about the health-monitoring device Temple have been made yet, amid criticism from doctors and influencers. He mentioned that the official device-benchmarking data has not been released yet, and there is time for the launch of preview devices.

In a post on the social media platform X, titled “Gentle reminder to all the concerned doctors and/or influencers”, Goyal said, “We haven’t made any public commercial announcements about Temple yet. We haven’t released any official device benchmarking data. A lot of the work is still underway; we’re months away from introducing preview devices to the public, if at all.”

Goyal's post follows criticism from some doctors about the wearable device, which he was recently seen wearing on Raj Shamani's YouTube podcast. Some medical professionals and experts questioned the legitimacy and accuracy of the device.

Calling the situation amusing, he criticised doctors and influencers who advise against purchasing an unvalidated device that is not currently available for order.

“You are advising people not to buy an “unvalidated” device that isn’t even available to order or pre-order yet. That’s funny,” Goyal wrote.

He further assured, “We will share all the science if and when we decide to sell Temple. You can judge and give all your advice at that moment. Until then, be curious, and cheer Indian startups? Your skepticism is valuable, but at the right time.”

What is Temple?

After Deepinder Goyal appeared on Raj Shamani’s YouTube podcast, everyone spotted a small device on his temple, with several social media users speculating about what it could be. The Eternal CEO was wearing a device called a ‘Temple', which is an experimental device meant to continuously monitor blood flow in the brain in real-time.

The small sensor, coloured in gold or silver, is worn near the temple. It monitors blood flow to the brain, an important marker of neurological health and ageing. The device is based on Deepinder Goyal’s personal research into the ‘Gravity Ageing Hypothesis’. He has invested $25 million ( ₹225 crore) of his personal funds to develop the device, Mint reported on 24 October 2025.

Criticism of Temple

Dr Cyriac Abbey Philips, commonly known online as The Liver Doc, criticised Goyal in a lengthy post on X for promoting what he described as an “ancient, already debunked gravitational theory of ageing” to market a wellness product. He stated that the product had no scientific basis and compared it to “a fat band-aid stuck to the temple”, warning against misinformation being branded as wellness innovation.

Recently, Dr Rahul Chawla, a neurologist trained at AIIMS in New Delhi, a consultant at IBS Hospital in Lajpat Nagar, and founder of HealthPil.com, called Temple a 'ridiculous experiment' driven by an ‘obsession with longevity. '

Criticising the device, Dr Chawla, in a post on Instagram, said, “These billionaires are willing to try everything except believe in qualified health professionals and researchers who have studied the human body for decades."

He added, "Based on what is publicly known, this device appears to pick up signals from the temple area, likely related to surface blood flow or pulse changes. But, measuring actual blood flow inside the brain is far more complex. In medical science, even advanced tools like MRI and specialised research equipment have their limits.”