Flipkart is expanding its supply-chain network ahead of The Big Billion Days sale in October and the festive season, with its logistics arm Ekart adding warehousing capacity, delivery hubs and technology upgrades to handle demand. Ekart has added 14 million cubic feet of warehousing space across India, increasing its storage capacity by 50 per cent. Technology and automation improvements have also raised peak processing capacity by more than 30 per cent, the company said. To strengthen last-mile delivery, Ekart has added more than 900 delivery hubs, supporting higher volumes of same-day and next-day deliveries during the festive period. The additions take Ekart and Flipkart’s logistics footprint to more than 8,200 facilities, including fulfilment centres, sortation hubs and last-mile operations. Flipkart Minutes has nearly 1,200 micro-fulfilment centres across more than 150 cities. The company has also expanded Flipkart’s reach by more than 750 PIN codes, including Leh in Ladakh, Kargil, parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and communities in the Northeast such as Kamalanagar and Zamuang in Mizoram. Flipkart said the expansion will allow more customers to participate in The Big Billion Days while enabling sellers to reach markets that were previously less accessible. To support small sellers, micro, small and medium enterprises, weavers and artisans, more than 2.5 crore units of products have been pre-positioned at Ekart fulfilment centres to enable faster order processing. The company has also opened 70 pick-up stations in seller hubs to reduce fulfilment times. Ekart’s third-party logistics franchise network has doubled to 600 within two months of its launch, allowing sellers and MSMEs outside the Flipkart marketplace to use the network during the festive season. The logistics expansion is also being accompanied by measures for delivery partners, known as wishmasters. Flipkart said every wishmaster is covered by term life insurance, personal accident insurance and mediclaim benefits, while a Doctor on Call service is available to delivery partners and their families. Wishmasters are also eligible for joining and retention bonuses and referral incentives during the festive season. AI-powered background verification through the Flipkart Delivery Partners app has reduced onboarding time to under 10 minutes while maintaining verification protocols, according to the company. The app also provides training to delivery partners before their first shift. Flipkart expects the festive-season expansion to create more than 2.5 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities, including nearly 75,000 positions for first-time workforce entrants. About 60 per cent of the new opportunities are expected to be in last-mile delivery, reflecting the company’s focus on faster deliveries and the expansion of Flipkart Minutes across Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. The measures underscore Flipkart’s effort to prepare its logistics infrastructure for higher festive demand while widening reach, supporting sellers and creating employment opportunities.
Flipkart Adds 900 Delivery Hubs, 14 Million Sq Ft Storage Ahead of Festive Sales
