MUMBAI: Walmart president and chief executive officer John Furner concluded his maiden India visit after taking charge earlier this year with a high-level review of the company’s business strategy and future expansion plans in the country. During the three-day trip, Furner interacted with teams of Walmart-owned businesses Flipkart and PhonePe while assessing the rapidly evolving Indian retail and digital payments landscape.
People familiar with the matter said Furner also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday evening before wrapping up his visit.
At an internal townhall with Flipkart employees, Furner highlighted the growing importance of faster deliveries in modern retail markets worldwide. His remarks come as Flipkart aggressively expands its quick commerce operations to strengthen competition against established players in the ultra-fast delivery segment.
The ecommerce major has been increasing its network of dark stores and extending services across new cities as consumer demand for rapid deliveries continues to rise. Industry competition in the quick commerce segment has intensified over the past year with companies racing to shorten delivery timelines and improve customer experience.
Furner also reassured employees that Flipkart would continue operating with significant autonomy despite changes in Walmart’s global leadership structure.
Speaking at Walmart’s growth summit in Delhi, Furner described India as one of the world’s most promising commerce markets. He said Walmart has already sourced goods worth more than $40 billion from India and intends to further strengthen supplier development, improve quality standards and help Indian manufacturers expand exports globally.
The retail giant plans to deepen partnerships with local businesses while supporting India’s manufacturing ecosystem through supply chain and sourcing initiatives.
Meanwhile, Flipkart is moving ahead with preparations for its much-anticipated initial public offering and is targeting a stock market debut next year. Digital payments platform PhonePe, however, has reportedly delayed its listing plans amid volatility in global financial markets triggered by geopolitical tensions.