There is hardly anybody in India who doesn’t know about Flipkart. That’s the kind of branding and advancement this e-commerce giant has pulled off in the past few years. Starting out as an online bookstore confined within a two-bedroom apartment in Bengaluru, the company has now established itself as one of the biggest digital platforms in India. The founders of Flipkart, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal have also become an inspiring example for all the budding entrepreneurs and startup owners in the world.
Let’s delve into the journey of Flipkart and talk about how they managed to gain such success in a competitive market like India.
How Did It Begin?
The founders of Flipkart, Sachin and Binny Bansal used to work at Amazon before they got the idea of starting their own business venture. In Amazon, it was like a boring “12 to 3 job” for Binny Bansal, who decided to quit the company as soon as Sachin and he decided to establish their own e-Commerce startup. Working in a small 2 BHK apartment in Bangalore’s upscale Koramangala suburb, Sachin and Binny were just another couple of geeks nurturing their big plan of action for launching a startup.
Earlier, they wanted to create an online bookstore tailored to cater to the unique needs of the Indian consumer. For this, the inspiration struck them while the two IIT Delhi computer science graduates were coding at Amazon’s software development centre in Bangalore. And soon, they launched Flipkart in October 2007. Sachin and Binny initially started off with a capital investment of Rs 4,00,000 which they spent from their own pockets. When the two men received a positive response in their online books-selling business, they decided to expand their operations to electronics as well. By 2014, the company became one of the most valuable startups in India by reaching the one-billion mark.
The Growth Of E-Commerce In India
The e-commerce business in India has undergone a humongous growth in the past few years, as most of the Indians are gaining access to personal computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and high-speed Internet services. Demographics rule the destiny of online business in India, where 75 % of the adults are between 15-34 years old, an age group that is more likely to be proficient at using modern technology. As a result, the digital platforms in our country are gaining a lot of popularity.
Success Of Flipkart
From its bootstrapped beginnings to reaching the pinnacle of success, Flipkart has indeed come a long way. Though the company had a jittery start with the arrival of US-based e-commerce giant – Amazon in the Indian market. However, Flipkart has now established itself as one of the leading e-commerce sites in India and the danger of stiff competition is no more looming today.
Since its inception in the market in 2007, the platform has witnessed a massive degree of growth and advancement, prompting the emergence of various startups in the country as well. The Bengaluru-based startup has been able to enhance its product categories from being the seller of books to adding millions of items and a variety of sections.