Ahead of Big Billion Days, 50,000 kiranas partner with Flipkart

India's homegrown ecommerce marketplace Flipkart on Wednesday announced that it has significantly expanded its kirana onboarding programme ahead of the festive season and the Big Billion Days event.

With more than 50,000 kiranas onboarded, Flipkart aims to provide a fast and personalised ecommerce experience to millions of consumers while creating opportunities for digital upskilling as well as additional income for kiranas.

To enable seamless onboarding without having kirana owners to step out during COVID-19, Flipkart’s team initiated contactless onboarding procedures through online application forms where kirana partners can directly upload their details along with the required documentation.

Speaking about the initiatives, Amitesh Jha, Senior Vice-President, Ekart and Marketplace, Flipkart, said,

“Flipkart believes in technology-enabled inclusive growth by taking all the ecosystem stakeholders with us and our kirana partners are an integral part of this ecosystem. As one of the oldest retail formats in India, kiranas have one of the highest penetration and showcase effective management of the supply chain drivers such as facilities, inventory, information and sourcing, as well as in maintaining a long-standing relationship with consumers."

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"Through a combination of their hyperlocal presence and innovations by Flipkart, the programme has become a great enabler in strengthening the kirana ecosystem in the country. We are pleased to witness the increasing participation from kiranas across the country to reinvent themselves and align with the fast growing ecommerce industry,” he added.

The kirana programme has been further expanded to include remote and far-away cities across the country, including places such as Tinsukia (Assam), Agartala (Tripura), and Kannur (Kerala).

Last year, kiranas collectively delivered over one million shipments during Flipkart’s The Big Billion Days sale, while offering a stellar ecommerce experience for the consumers.

The programme is part of Flipkart Group's efforts to drive growth for millions of kiranas across the country. 

Last week, digital B2B marketplace Flipkart Wholesale, a venture of the homegrown Flipkart Group, launched its operations with an aim to connect local manufacturers with retailers and bring the entire wholesale marketplace at their fingertips using technology.

The platform is currently available for fashion retailers, especially footwear and apparel, in Gurugram, Delhi and Bengaluru, with plans to expand to Mumbai as well, the company said in a press release.

By this year end, Flipkart Wholesale also plans to expand to 20 more cities and in categories such as Home, Kitchen, and Grocery.