November 2015 (Revised April 2018)
Case
HBS Case Collection

Flipkart (A): Transitioning to a Marketplace Model

By: Das Narayandas, Sunil Gupta and Rachna Tahilyani

Format:Print
| Language:English
| Pages:15

Abstract

In 2015, Sachin and Binny Bansal, co-founders of India’s largest e-commerce company, are wondering if it is time to move from a hybrid model to a full marketplace. While Amazon runs a hybrid model, Alibaba operates a marketplace. In addition, Flipkart has been losing money since its inception and there was growing concerns among investors to see a clear path to profitability.

Keywords

Marketplaces; Online Retail; E-commerce; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Emerging Markets; Retail Industry; India

Citation

Narayandas, Das, Sunil Gupta, and Rachna Tahilyani. "Flipkart (A): Transitioning to a Marketplace Model." Harvard Business School Case 516-017, November 2015. (Revised April 2018.)