Profiles of Successful E-commerce Startups in India

E-commerce refers to buying and selling goods and services online. E-commerce companies have capitalized on the rise of online transactions, the growth of mobile phone users, and internet affordability and established themselves as prominent players in the industry. These startups have harnessed technology, innovation, and a customer-centric approach to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Profiles of some successful E-commerce startups in India:

Flipkart

Flipkart, founded in 2007 by Kalyan Krishnamurthy in Bangalore, India is one of the largest e-commerce brands. Along with Krishnamurthy, Flipkart is headed by President Amar Nagaram and Chairman Harish Bhat alongside CEO Krishnamurthy. The company employs over 10,000 individuals and has a market share of 31.9%. The company offers a wide range of products at competitive prices and follows a customer-centric approach.

Their goal is to provide accessible and affordable e-commerce solutions while transforming the shopping experience in India. They prioritize innovation and the use of technology to enhance their platform. Although Flipkart operates digitally, they have fulfillment centers, warehouses, and offices all over the country. Flipkart has offices in the following cities:

Chennai
Pune
Hyderabad
Lucknow
Calcutta
Gurgaon
Ahmedabad
Ludhiana
Bengaluru
Jaipur

Milestones

Founded in 2007
Between 2008-09, Flipkart expanded its product offerings to include electronics, fashion, home appliances, and etc.
Secured funding from Tiger Global Management and Accel Partners between 2009-2014
In 2010, it introduced a “cash on delivery” payment option
In 2014, it acquired Myntra
Launched first big billion-day sale with huge discounts in 2014
In 2016, it acquired PhonePe
Walmart gained majority ownership of Flipkart in 2018
LaunchedFlipkart Plus, a loyalty program in 2018
Launched Flipkart wholesale in 2020

Notable products

Flipkart: A B2C e-commerce platform with over 375,000 registered sellers and over 150 million products.
Flipkart’s Ekart Logistics, an in-house delivery and supply chain that handles over 10M monthly shipments

Flipkart Image Slide.PNG

PharmEasy

PharmEasy is a popular online pharmacy and healthcare platform based in Mumbai, India. Founded in 2015 by Siddharth Shah along with co-founders Dharmil Seth and Dhaval Shah, the company offers a wide range of services including online ordering and delivery of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, online doctor consultations, diagnostic tests, and health check-up packages. PharmEasy has become a popular choice for over 20 million customers in over 1000+ cities across India. They strive to provide easy, convenient, and affordable healthcare products and services, positioning themselves as a leading online pharmacy with a significant market share.

The company primarily operates through the process of order and delivery, although they do have collection centers across India. For a complete list of the collection centers, visit their official website provided here.

Milestone

Started in 2015
Secured funding from Temasek Holdings, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Orsis Venture Partners to support its expansion
In 2021, merged with Medlife
Provided safe and convenient access to medicines during pandemic

Notable Products

Online pharmacy: Online platform providing medicines, health products, doctor consultations, lab bookings, and at-home sample collection services.

Pharmeasy Image Slide.PNG

Udaan

Founded in 2016 by Vaibhav Gupta, Udaan is a B2B platform linking businesses with manufacturers and wholesalers for wholesale purchasing in categories like fashion, electronics, and groceries. Co-headed by Sujeet Kumar and CTO Amod Malviya, it also offers loan credits to SMEs and delivery logistics. Aiming to be India’s largest B2B online marketplace, Udaan leverages technology and robust logistics to streamline business sourcing and selling. With direct, transparent transactions it’s revolutionizing the B2B e-commerce space. Udaan, with over 10,000 employees and a 505%revenue growth in 2021 is a successful E-commerce startup with offices in Bengaluru, Guragram, and New Delhi.

Milestone

Founded in 2016
In 2018, it raised $225 million from DST Global and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Raised $585 million in funding from Tencent Holding

Notable Product

A B2B marketplace: has a user base of 3M buyers and sellers
Udaan Capital: provides SME businesses with loans up to $6500
Udaan Express: a delivery logistics service

Conclusion

The E-commerce industry in India is experiencing rapid growth and advancement, with new startup companies emerging each season to capitalize on this thriving market. Flipkart, PharmaEasy, and Udaan are prime examples of successful startup companies that have established their unique presence and achieved remarkable success.

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