Flipkart Opens Ekart Delivery Network to External Brands
Flipkart's logistics arm Ekart will now handle fulfilment and shipping for third-party brands and sellers, marking a major shift in the company's supply chain strategy.
Flipkart has begun opening its in-house logistics arm, Ekart, to external brands, allowing companies outside the Walmart-owned marketplace to use the network for fulfilment and last-mile delivery. The move signals a strategic shift for the unit, which has historically served Flipkart's own customers and a limited set of merchants.
A long-awaited shift
Ekart has been one of the largest supply chain operations in Indian e-commerce for years, handling parcel movement, warehousing and returns for Flipkart. Opening the network to outside brands positions the company to compete more directly with third-party logistics players that have traditionally dominated the segment.
Industry observers note that the change could give smaller and mid-sized brands access to Ekart's reach across India's expanding logistics real estate footprint, without requiring them to scale their own delivery infrastructure.
What external brands can access
Through the expanded offering, third-party clients can tap into Ekart's pan-India delivery capabilities, including warehousing and returns management. The services are expected to cover:
- End-to-end fulfilment from seller warehouse to customer doorstep
- Reverse logistics and returns processing
- Last-mile delivery across tier-one and tier-two cities
Broader industry context
The opening of Ekart comes at a time when India's logistics sector is showing notable resilience despite ongoing supply chain disruptions. Companies are increasingly seeking partners that can combine scale with reliability, rather than relying solely on legacy freight and courier networks.
For Flipkart, the move also reflects a maturing approach to monetising infrastructure built up over more than a decade. Ekart's transition into an open logistics platform could reshape competition in the segment, particularly as more brands look for integrated partners capable of handling the full order-to-delivery cycle.