Flipkart, the Walmart-owned Indian e-commerce giant, will enter the food delivery space within the next 30 days, according to an interview with Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy published by the Times of India. The move will initially launch as a pilot in Bangalore, with the company exploring a separate app and integrating the service with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), people familiar with the plans said.
Pilot Launch and Platform Strategy
Krishnamurthy stated: "Food delivery is another customer use case within our broader e-commerce platform. We will begin with a pilot, learn from it, and decide how to scale across the rest of the country." He emphasised that Flipkart will "always come with a solid value proposition and innovate as we go along," though he declined to disclose specific details on the service. The pilot is set to take place in Bangalore, and the company is considering a dedicated app while also integrating with ONDC, a government-backed open network project aimed at democratising e-commerce.
Competitive Landscape
The food delivery market in India is currently dominated by two major players: Zomato and Swiggy. According to Datum Intelligence estimates, as of the December quarter, Zomato controlled approximately 57% of the market, while Swiggy held a 43% share, forming what many consider a duopoly. Krishnamurthy pushed back on the notion that the market is closed to new entrants: "Nothing is over. You go back in history, especially in our industry, somebody has innovated, somebody has disrupted and eventually the market expanded. New players will keep coming into the market."
Gen Z Focus and Live Commerce
Krishnamurthy highlighted that Flipkart is now a "Gen Z first company," with Gen Z consumers accounting for nearly half of sales in certain segments such as clothing, fashion, beauty, and home. He noted: "The Gen Z customer relates to us like nobody else." On Myntra, a Flipkart-owned fashion platform, Gen Z could constitute even more than 50% of sales. Beyond products, Krishnamurthy observed a shift toward experiences: "They travel, they eat out, they spend on experiences. That shift from products to experiences is very real and very visible in our data." To tap into this, Flipkart is investing in "videofication" and live commerce to give customers a feel for products and services.
Implications for Last-Mile Delivery
For logistics operators and freight forwarders, Flipkart's entry into food delivery signals a major expansion of its last-mile delivery network. Food delivery requires specialised cold-chain capabilities, real-time tracking, and hyperlocal fulfilment. The pilot in Bangalore will test these operational requirements before scaling. The use of ONDC could open interoperability with other logistics providers, potentially reshaping delivery economics. Krishnamurthy noted that Flipkart had attempted a similar move six or seven years ago but did not scale it. Now, with evolved customer behaviour and strong adoption of quick commerce, the company is ready to jump in. "It doesn't matter if somebody starts a particular business or a business model and anybody comes in after two years or seven years, if they execute well, if they have a solid team, if they are focused, they can easily win," he said.
Watch List
- Pilot launch in Bangalore and subsequent scaling across India.
- Integration with ONDC and impact on last-mile logistics interoperability.
- Competition with Zomato and Swiggy potentially driving innovations in delivery speed and cost.
- Flipkart's investment in live commerce and videofication as a differentiator.
- Regulatory developments around ONDC and food delivery platforms.
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