Flipkart pilots fresh fruits, vegetables delivery in Hyderabad: Report

Home-grown ecommerce firm Flipkart has started a pilot project in Hyderabad to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to doorsteps, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The project is in partnership with vendors on its marketplace such as Waycool Foods & Products as well as other sellers.

"Even though Flipkart (in the past) has steered away from venturing into the fresh fruits and vegetables space directly given the complexity of the business' supply chain and regulatory compliances, with the entrance and aggressive push by its largest competitors, Amazon.com and Reliance Industries, it is no longer a segment that can be ignored," a top executive at the company told the publication on condition of anonymity.

The process to acquire a food retail permit via a newly registered entity, which will enable Flipkart to eventually own food inventory as per the government’s FDI policy, is going on, as per the report.

In December, Flipkart and its US-based parent Walmart jointly had invested an undisclosed sum in Ninjacart, a fresh produce supply chain startup. It is said that the supply chain for its partners is likely to be powered by Ninjacart in future.