Flipkart acquires mobile repair chain F1 Info Solutions

Deal to help online retail major provide superior after-sales support to its smartphone customers

India’s leading e-commerce marketplace Flipkart has acquired mobile repair chain F1 Info Solutions as it looks to improve its after-sales service offerings to customers on its platform.

Smartphones account for over 50 per cent of the sales (by value) on Flipkart, making it the most important category for the Indian e-tailer. With F1 Info Solutions, the company will gain access to its own chain of service centres across the country.

“Flipkart is the top destination for mobile phones in India. We are now taking our offerings several notches higher. Ultimately, we want to give our customers a comprehensive service ecosystem that takes care of repair and service needs of all their products,” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO at Flipkart, in a statement.

Flipkart did not disclose the terms of the deal but said Shammi Moza, the co-founder and CEO of F1 Info Solutions, would join the company in the capacity of a senior manager, while continuing his responsibilities towards the mobile service business.

F1 Info Solutions will become a part of Jeeves, a firm that Flipkart invested in 2014. Jeeves specialises in providing after-sales service for large and small home appliances and furniture. Under the new structure, Moza will report to Abhijit Upadhye, who is the vice president and head of Jeeves at Flipkart.

Following the acquisition, Flipkart will be able to monetise its customers across the lifecycle of a product, rather than just at the time of sale. According to the company, F1 Info Solutions has 158 centres and these are located in 135 cities across the country. The firm currently employs around 1,000 people who handle around 50,000 service calls every month.

F1 Info is also a certified partner for several global consumer technology majors such as Apple, Samsung, HP, Lenovo, Sony and Asus.