Walmart India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart Stores Inc, operates 28 B2B Modern Wholesale Stores and two Fulfillment Centres throughout India at highly competitive prices with unrivaled selection, quality, and hygiene standards.
Flipkart and PhonePe are also owned and operated by Walmart and are expected to contribute significantly towards an estimated global business of $200 billion by 2026.
It is called Flipkart.
Flipkart, established by Indian entrepreneurs and acquired by Walmart in 2018, currently provides over 80 million products across 80 categories, mobile apps, and offline sales channels.
Walmart’s acquisition of Flipkart has not gone without controversy in India. According to antitrust laws, Walmart may have violated antitrust regulations by illegally exploiting its size and resources to gain competitive advantages; and by paying bribes to officials to avoid penalties.
Flipkart’s acquisition by Wal-Mart has met much resistance from small retailers and consumers, especially family businesses, passed down over generations. Walmart may put these shops out of business, as protests against its entry are already in place – these typically consist of demonstrations and ad campaigns, some even becoming viral on social media platforms.
It is called Walmart India.
Walmart India represents an investment in its future. Flipkart and PhonePe have seen rapid expansion, becoming $100 billion businesses within just a few years of launch. But growth can be challenging in an economy such as India, where 32 million people no longer fall within middle-class categories while 75 million live on less than $2 per day.
Wal-Mart has long faced opposition, such as demonstrations and protests. Yet the company has overcome such hurdles, opening 28 Best Price Modern Wholesale stores and two Fulfillment Centres throughout the U.S.
Walmart India has established an innovation center where employees can learn more about its culture. The Bengaluru center was designed to resemble their global headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, and offers employees an immersive experience regarding history, culture, and business within “experience zones.” While this initiative is commendable, more retail outlets still need to open in India.
It is called Walmart Global Tech.
Walmart Global Tech is the retailer’s technology backbone, supporting everything from supply chain optimization to merchandising technology. According to Kumar, their Bengaluru and Chennai centers are some of the largest in the world and feature significant investments in culture and business innovation.
Indian markets provide many unique opportunities, from expanding middle classes and massive economic potential to cultural and regulatory barriers, which must be overcome if Walmart hopes to be successful there.
India’s government’s reluctance to permit foreign multi-brand retail stores could impede growth. They require retailers such as Walmart to source 30 percent of their supplies from small suppliers, which could be challenging for the retailer to meet. Walmart could also hurt many small family-owned businesses and street markets that form part of India’s culture and traditions, providing employment for thousands of people and running by generations of families; its arrival is likely jeopardizing their futures.
It is called Walmart Stores.
Walmart currently does not operate physical stores in India or Delhi. However, they own and control the Indian-founded e-commerce company Flipkart, Myntra apparel (apparel), and PhonePe (mobile payments). Furthermore, Walmart owns 28 Best Price Modern Wholesale Stores that function similarly to Walmart Supercenters with more stringent membership rules and use of sacks instead of shopping bags – their goal being to support India’s 12 million neighborhood mom-and-pop shops, known as Kiranas with global sourcing technology solutions.
Walmart cannot enter India under its name as a multi-brand retailer due to government restrictions; however, it can enter via a joint venture with an Indian somranu for entry into their emerging retail industry, which is expected to double by 2022 and provides access into what has become one of Walmart’s key markets. Unfortunately, many farmers and business owners are resisting its entrance.