Walmart-owned ecommerce giant Flipkart is set to enter India’s food delivery market in the coming weeks, marking its latest expansion beyond ecommerce and quick commerce.
Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy told Moneycontrol that the company will launch its food delivery service in the coming weeks, taking on incumbents Swiggy and Eternal-owned Zomato in one of India’s most competitive consumer internet segments. Ride-hailing startup Rapido also recently entered the food delivery market with its ‘Ownly’ offering.
The move comes less than a year after Flipkart entered the quick commerce space with ‘Flipkart Minutes’ and underscores its strategy of increasing customer engagement through high-frequency, everyday services.
“Like everything else we do, we will launch food delivery first, test the value proposition with customers, take feedback and continue improving the product until it really appeals to the customer. After that, we’ll start scaling it,” Krishnamurthy was quoted as saying.
He added that the service will be available both as a standalone app and within the Flipkart app. The company is yet to disclose details about the launch city, branding, or operating model.
No Immediate IPO Timeline
Krishnamurthy also ruled out an immediate public listing, saying Flipkart has no fixed timeline for an IPO. He added that any listing would depend on the company’s readiness rather than a predetermined schedule.
Flipkart’s IPO plans have shifted several times over the past few years. The ecommerce major was earlier expected to go public by late 2025 or early 2026 and was also reportedly exploring a $2 Bn-$2.5 Bn pre-IPO funding round to establish a valuation benchmark.
In March this year, Flipkart completed its long-awaited reverse flip, shifting its holding company domicile from Singapore to India after securing the necessary regulatory approvals, removing a key hurdle for a domestic listing.
However, these plans were put on hold in May after Walmart asked Flipkart to prioritise profitability. The US retail giant, which owns about an 80% stake in Flipkart, wants the company to achieve EBITDA breakeven by the end of FY27 before pursuing an IPO or any external fundraise.
Quick Commerce ‘Just A Category’
Krishnamurthy also downplayed the significance of quick commerce as a standalone business, telling the publication that Flipkart views it as one of several customer value propositions within its broader marketplace strategy rather than a separate vertical.
Acknowledging the intensity of competition, he said the market may not be deep enough to sustainably support six or seven players over the long term, signalling that industry consolidation is likely. However, he ruled out mergers and acquisitions as a growth strategy.
“Quick commerce is just a category for Flipkart, we are not spending disproportionate time on it,” Krishnamurthy was quoted as saying.
The comments come as Flipkart continues to expand Flipkart Minutes. The company recently crossed 1,000 dark stores across more than 130 cities, strengthening its presence against Blinkit, Instamart, Zepto, BigBasket and Amazon Now.
The planned entry into food delivery suggests that while Flipkart has deferred its IPO ambitions, it continues to invest in adjacent consumer categories to increase engagement and strengthen its broader commerce ecosystem.
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