Walmart Celebrates 20 Years in India with Showcase of Innovation and Growth

Chennai: Walmart recently celebrated its 20-year journey in India with a showcase event in New Delhi, highlighting its commitment to the country’s growth and development. The event featured entrepreneurs, MSMEs, and partners from various initiatives across Walmart, Flipkart Group, and PhonePe’s collective footprint in India.

Walmart has established a comprehensive presence in India, spanning digital commerce, global sourcing, technology, financial inclusion, and community development. With over two decades of operations in the country, Walmart has made significant contributions to India’s economic growth.

Walmart has sourced goods worth over $30 billion from India for its global operations and aims to triple its sourcing to reach $10 billion in annual exports by 2027. This goal reflects Walmart’s confidence in India’s manufacturing capabilities and its commitment to supporting local businesses.

Walmart Vriddhi, a supplier development program, has trained over 70,000 MSMEs, empowering them to integrate into domestic supply chains. The program aims to support an additional 100,000 MSMEs by 2028, providing them with free training, mentoring, and digital tools to enhance their business growth.

PhonePe, a leading fintech company in India, has over 600 million users, expanding access to digital payments and financial services across the country. This initiative has played a significant role in promoting financial inclusion and digital transactions in India.

Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart Inc., emphasized India’s importance in Walmart’s story, highlighting the company’s strengthened partnerships and commitment to empowering local businesses. Kath McLay, President and CEO of Walmart International, noted that India is a transformative market, driving access and growth across diverse communities.

Some key initiatives driving Walmart’s growth in India include:

• Flipkart Marketplace: Enables small businesses and consumers across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with a seller base of 1.4 million, many being MSMEs.
• Flipkart Samarth: Supports thousands of artisans, weavers, and women-led businesses with training and dedicated marketplace access.
• Walmart Global Tech: Develops advanced solutions in AI, automation, and data science, driving innovation across Walmart’s global operations.
• Walmart Foundation: Enables support to smallholder farmers through grantee organizations, providing training, tools, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.