Walmart's existential dilemma

Despite being a large multinational corporation, Walmart has struggled to grow beyond its somewhat insular roots in its Bentonville, Arkansas HQ

The sound and fury around the Karnataka elections may have overtaken the hype and frenzy around Walmart’s dramatic $16 billion acquisition of Flipkart. But it hasn’t stopped analysts and columnists from questioning the rationale of the deal. This deal is five times bigger than Walmart’s biggest acquisition till date. So what made Walmart pay a king’s ransom for an entry into the Indian e-commerce market? Especially since the sustainability of Flipkart’s business model has been the subject of considerable debate over the years. It begs the question: Has Walmart bitten off more than it can chew?

Let’s step back. Global multinationals