10 years of Flipkart - A Timeline of Milestones

How much can you pack into a ten-year timeline? In 2017, Flipkart celebrates a decade of fulfilling the wishes of online retail customers in India, and solving for India’s dynamic e-commerce ecosystem. Since starting up in 2007 from a two-bedroom apartment in Koramangala, Bengaluru, Flipkart’s founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal have built an e-commerce bellwether that has held the torch aloft for a generation of Indian startups. Each year, Flipkart has fought off competition with path-breaking innovation aimed at solving for India. Strengthening its leadership position with every milestone achieved, Flipkart has built what is today arguably India’s most exciting company to work for, with a workforce whose average age is not quite 30.

Flip back the years with this timeline of Flipkart milestones.

  
  2007 | The Flipkart story begins in a Bengaluru apartment
 September 15, 2007
  On September 15, 2007, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, who met in 2005 at IIT-Delhi, launch an internet business called Flipkart. The online bookstore promises to deliver anywhere in India. Within weeks, the first customer, a young bookworm from Mahbubnagar, places an order. Amid high drama, Sachin and Binny pull off the delivery. After 20 shipments that year, Flipkart is in business.
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  2008 | Building blocks – Putting the Indian customer first
 January 1, 2008
  Flipkart’s first office opens in Bengaluru at PIN code 560034
24×7 customer service launched
Over 3,400 shipments delivered
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  2009 | First employee, first funding, first pre-order
 January 1, 2009
  Flipkart hires its first full-time employee. Ambur Iyyappa, a veritable Human ERP, would go on to become a dollar millionaire
In September, Accel Partners invests $1 million in Flipkart
Opens offices in Delhi and Mumbai
First book opens for pre-orders – Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol 
Headcount leaps to 150
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  2010 | Cash-on-Delivery and Ekart win over the Indian consumer
 March 3, 2010
  Pioneers Cash-on-Delivery payment mode
Launches logistics arm Ekart, led by fresher Vinoth Poovalingam
Introduces 30-day return policy
Acquires social book recommendation portal WeRead
Expands categories to include Music, Movies, Games, Electronics and Mobiles
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  2011 | Expanding the delivery network
 March 8, 2011
  Launches digital wallet
Expands shopping categories to include Cameras, Computers, Laptops, Large Appliances, Health, Personal Care, Stationery
Acquires Chakpak and Mime360
Launches 30-day replacement policy
Delivers to over 600 cities in India
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  2012 | The Flipkart mobile app brings shopping to every Indian’s fingertips
 March 6, 2012
  Launches mobile shopping app 
Acquires electronics e-tailer Letsbuy 
Receives PCI DSS Certification, allowing customers access to ‘Saved Cards’ feature 
Launches Fashion, Perfumes, Watches, Menswear, Toys, Posters, Baby Care 
Launches electronics private label DigiFlip 
Launches Flyte MP3 for online music sales
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  2013 | The rise of the marketplace
 February 1, 2013
  Introduces Next Day Shipping Guarantee
Raises $160 million in funding
Adopts marketplace model, opening up platform to sellers
Sells 1,00,000 books in a single day 
Launches PayZippy, an online payments solution for merchants and customers 
Launches Women’s Lifestyle category 
Begins accepting international cards for transactions
Recruits a record 118 candidates from IIT campuses 
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  2014 | Myntra joins the family, Big Billion Day is born
 October 6, 2014
  Becomes the first Indian internet retailer to register $1.9bn gross merchandise value (GMV)
Acquires fashion e-tailer Myntra 
Acquires majority stake in Jeeves and ngpay 
Launches Flipkart First and In-a-Day Guarantee 
Launches Scheduled Delivery 
Begins exclusive associations, starting with Moto and Xiaomi 
Kicks off India’s largest online sale — Big Billion Day — in October
Introduces Same Day Delivery Guarantee 
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  2015 —  Progressive maternity, paternity and adoption policies make Flipkart a great place to work
 March 24, 2015
  Launches Home and Maternity categories
Acquires AdIquity and AppIterate 
Launches Ad Platform and Strategic Brands Group
Brand Refresh – unveils the new Flipkart logo
Acquires payment services firm FX Mart
Launches Flipkart Lite 
Launches progressive maternity and paternity policies for employees and introduces an adoption policy
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  2016 – Flipkart crosses 100 million registered users
 September 12, 2016
  Binny Bansal takes over as CEO. Sachin Bansal becomes Executive Chairman
First Indian mobile app to cross 50 million users 
Crosses the milestone of 100 million registered customers 
Launches No Cost EMI
April 2016 – Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal named among Time 100 list of most influential people by TIME magazine 
Acquires UPI-based payments startup PhonePe 
Acquires Jabong 
Launches Flipkart Assured
Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal named “Asian of the Year” by Straits Times of Singapore as part of the ‘The Disruptors’ group 
Launches PhonePe, India’s first UPI (Unified Payments Interface) based app
Invests in Qikpod for locker deliveries
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  2017 – Flipkart celebrates 10 years with biggest-ever round of investments
 March 14, 2017
  Kalyan Krishnamurthy named new Flipkart CEO. Binny Bansal takes on reins of Flipkart Group as Group CEO
PhonePe crosses 10 million downloads on Google Play store 
Rahul Dravid launches #FlipkartBig10 logo as Flipkart celebrates a decade of game-changing innovation. 
Flipkart raises $1.4 billion from Tencent, eBay & Microsoft 
eBay India becomes part of the Flipkart Group
Softbank Vision Fund invests in Flipkart to become one of the largest shareholders of the company
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Also read:

Flipkart raises $1.4 billion from Tencent, eBay & Microsoft and acquires eBay India

#FlipkartBig10 – A Timeline of Talent

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10 years of Flipkart – A Timeline of Milestones

2007 | The Flipkart story begins in a Bengaluru apartment

2008 | Building blocks – Putting the Indian customer first

2009 | First employee, first funding, first pre-order

2010 | Cash-on-Delivery and Ekart win over the Indian consumer

2011 | Expanding the delivery network

2012 | The Flipkart mobile app brings shopping to every Indian’s fingertips

2013 | The rise of the marketplace

2014 | Myntra joins the family, Big Billion Day is born

2015 — Progressive maternity, paternity and adoption policies make Flipkart a great place to work

2016 – Flipkart crosses 100 million registered users

2017 – Flipkart celebrates 10 years with biggest-ever round of investments

About the Author