Flipkart’s Supply Chain Head Hemant Badri To Lead Quick Commerce Venture

Ecommerce giant Flipkart is set to venture into the rapidly evolving domain of quick commerce, with Hemant Badri, Senior Vice President and Group Head of Supply Chain, at the helm of this strategic initiative.

The company is currently in the process of establishing a network of dark storefronts as it gears up to launch its quick commerce solution in July, aiming to cater to the increasing demand for ultra-fast deliveries.

According to reports, this move comes amidst a burgeoning competition in the sector, where apps offering deliveries within 15–29 minutes have swiftly transitioned from being convenient tools to indispensable services in just over three years.

Badri, with over three years of experience at Flipkart and a notable career spanning over a decade at Unilever and more than eight years at Colgate Palmolive, brings a wealth of expertise to this pivotal role.

According to a recent report by Goldman Sachs, quick commerce startup Zepto has achieved the remarkable milestone of surpassing USD 1 billion in annualised sales within 29 months of its inception, underscoring the immense potential of this segment.

In addition to Zepto, other players in the quick commerce sector, such as Blinkit and SoftBank-backed Swiggy Instamart, are rapidly gaining market share, with their presence now nearing that of the industry's established players.

Flipkart’s foray into quick commerce comes at a time when competitors like Blinkit and Zepto are expanding their offerings beyond groceries to include a diverse range of categories such as toys, kitchen appliances, apparel, and electronics in their dark stores.

Notably, Swiggy has integrated its mall offering with its quick commerce subsidiary Instamart, testing the waters for non-food items like clothing, electronics, and kitchen appliances. With plans for an imminent public listing, Swiggy is poised to submit draft listing documents in the coming months, marking a significant milestone in its journey.

As Flipkart embarks on its quick commerce venture under the leadership of Hemant Badri, it sets the stage for a dynamic evolution in the e-commerce landscape, promising enhanced convenience and speed for consumers while intensifying competition in the market.