Flipkart raises $3.6 billion, values it at $37.6 billion

BENGALURU: India’s homegrown e-tailer Flipkart has raised $3.6 billion in funding led by financial investors GIC, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Walmart, along with investments from sovereign funds DisruptAD, Qatar Investment Authority, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, and marquee investors Tencent, Willoughby Capital, Antara Capital, Franklin Templeton and Tiger Global. The investment values Flipkart at $37.6 billion post-money.
Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO of the Flipkart Group, said, “This investment by leading global investors reflects the promise of digital commerce in India and their belief in Flipkart’s capabilities to maximize this potential for all stakeholders. As we serve our consumers, we will focus on accelerating growth for millions of small and medium Indian businesses, including Kirana. We will continue to invest in new categories and leverage made-in-India technology to transform consumer experiences and develop a world-class supply chain.”
This investment reflects global investor confidence in digital commerce in India, which has continued to accelerate over the last year when access to products safely and convenience took priority. With this development, Flipkart will continue to make deeper investments across people, technology, supply chain and infrastructure to address the requirements of a rapidly growing consumer base in India. A key focus area for Flipkart is to help informal commerce segments leverage the power of technology. Through its expanding grocery and last-mile delivery programs, it will also work with kiranas to help them digitize and grow.
“One of the key investment themes for CPP Investments has been Asia’s domestic consumption. We believe India will be a leading source of global growth in the decades ahead, supported by positive demographics, a growing middle class, and deepening Internet penetration,” said Agus Tandiono, managing director and head of fundamental equities Asia, CPP Investments. “This investment in Flipkart builds on our program to provide long-term capital to industry leaders. We look forward to supporting Flipkart’s efforts in growing India’s e-commerce market.”
“SoftBank’s re-investment in Flipkart is driven by our experience with and conviction in the company’s management team to continue addressing the needs of the Indian consumer in the decades to come,” Lydia Jett, partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers, said. “From our platform as one of the largest Asian eCommerce investors, SoftBank has a broad lens on the fundamental trends shaping digital commerce in the region. The opportunity to meet consumer demand for high-quality selection at low prices and a young population make online consumption critical to India’s quest for the ‘$5 trillion economy’ that Flipkart’s growth story has been enabling,” Jett added.
“Flipkart is a great business whose growth and potential mirrors that of India as a whole — that’s why we invested in 2018 and why we continue to invest today,” said Judith McKenna, president and CEO – Walmart International. “Kalyan and the team have put the Indian customer at the center of everything and they have continued to innovate in the categories and services Indian customers want most, creating new jobs and growth opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs and small businesses alongside them. The quality of the investor group and valuation announced today is further confirmation of global confidence in Flipkart and its mission to transform commerce in India.”