Flipkart launches 11 fulfilment centres, expects to create over 100k jobs

Ahead of its upcoming flagship The Big Billion Days (TBBD) sales this year, homegrown e-commerce major Flipkart has launched 11 new fulfilment centres (FCs) across nine cities to meet the anticipated high demand during the upcoming festival season.

This comes at a time when e-commerce and quick commerce companies are expanding their supply chain infrastructure ahead of the festival season.

The new centres would bring Flipkart’s total tally of FCs to 83 across the country. Moreover, the company said its supply chain expansion will create over 100,000 job opportunities across India.

The roles encompass various supply chain verticals, including inventory managers, warehouse associates, logistics coordinators, kirana partners and delivery drivers, Flipkart said.

 

“With our expanded supply chain network, we are poised to meet the growing demands of our customers and provide them with an unparalleled shopping experience,” said Hemant Badri, senior vice- president and head of Supply Chain, Customer Experience, and ReCommerce, Flipkart Group.

“Through a robust, efficient and sustainable supply chain, we intend to not only meet customers’ needs, but also drive economic growth and development through meaningful opportunities that have a lasting impact on the communities we serve,” he added.

Badri added that these “communities” include enabling growth opportunities for the company’s kirana partners.

This comes amid an ongoing debate that e-commerce is eating into the share of offline retail, and negatively affecting small retailers, including kirana stores.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently said the e-commerce sector’s rapid growth is a “cause for concern” and not pride, warning that it could lead to job losses in traditional retail.

Flipkart’s supply chain expansions are aimed at boosting the company’s shipment delivery capacity, ensuring faster and more reliable delivery services during TBBD 2024. Additionally, comprehensive skilling and training programmes have been planned for new workers in the run-up to the festive season, the company said.

Leveraging its technology stack, Flipkart said it is ensuring seamless supply chain operations, optimised inventory management, and improved product availability to meet the rising demand for the festival season. This includes “automated warehouses and data-driven decision making.”

Ahead of the festival season this year, e-commerce, quick commerce and third-party logistics players are ramping up their supply chain networks to meet the demand for quicker deliveries, Business Standard had reported earlier.

To facilitate faster deliveries, companies like Blinkit, Zepto and Flipkart are rapidly expanding their dark store footprints and logistics firms like Delhivery, Shiprocket, and Ecom Express are beefing up their infrastructure.

Sleeves rolled up

Fulfillment centres (FCs) to come up across nine cities 

Flipkart’s total tally of FCs rises to 83 

Supply chain expansion to create over 100,000 job opportunities 

Job roles encompass inventory managers, warehouse associates, logistics coordinators, kirana partners, delivery drivers