e-commerce
FbStart, Amazon Launchpad nurture e-com startups
MUMBAI: In a worthwhile push towards the government’s ‘Startup India’ initiative, Amazon Launchpad saw around 250 plus applications within three days of its launch. The programme helps make it easier for Indian startups to launch, market and distribute their products to millions of Amazon customers across India and around the world.
Facebook meantime has picked up three more Indian startups — skill-based networking app Skillmate, rental platform SimplyMoveIn and social platform for investors and traders Talkoot – for FbStart startup mentorship programme.
The startups will receive credits up to US$40,000 and free tools and services from Facebook and its more than 30 partners including Amazon, Dropbox, UserTesting, and MailChimp. Besides partners, startups get free access to more than 25 services including open source tools like React Native, FB Login and Account Kit and App Analytics.
Amazon.in received over 400 applications within two weeks of the launch. Most of the applicants are young startups that are about one and half years old. Around 60 per cent applicants have never sold on Amazon.in before.
Electronics, grocery and health & personal care are among the major categories of applicants. While applications have mainly been received from metros, startups from tier 2 & 3 towns such as Hubli, Mehsana and Thissur have also applied.
Amazon Launchpad has partnered with various constituents in the ecosystem, such as DIPP’s Startup India initiative and offers startups a streamlined on-boarding experience.
Consumers benefit from a safe and secure ordering experience, convenient electronic payments, Cash on Delivery, Amazon’s 24×7 customer service support, and a globally recognized and comprehensive 100% purchase protection provided by Amazon’s A-to-Z Guarantee.
Over a dozen Indian startups have been inducted into the FB programme over the past year. These startups will get an opportunity to connect directly with the Facebook team and will be enrolled into the social media giant’s exclusive community of global startups that include Adobe, Coursera, Dropbox, and Salesforce.
Any developer who has launched a working mobile app in Google Play app stores or Apple is eligible to apply for FbStart.
e-commerce
Flipkart cuts around 300 jobs in annual performance review
E-commerce giant trims ~1.5 per cent of workforce as IPO preparations continue.
MUMBAI: Flipkart just gave performance the pink slip because when the annual review bell rings, even the biggest cart sometimes needs to lighten its load. Flipkart has let go of approximately 300 employees as part of its annual performance management cycle, Moneycontrol reported on 7 March 2026, citing people familiar with the matter. The exits represent roughly 1.5 per cent of the company’s total workforce of around 20,000 people across its businesses.
The move follows Flipkart’s standard practice of asking employees placed in lower performance bands to leave during yearly reviews, a process the company has carried out periodically in recent years. A similar exercise in early 2024 saw around 1,000 employees (nearly 5 per cent of the workforce) exit.
The latest round comes amid Flipkart’s continued push for operational efficiency and cost discipline, mirroring broader trends across the Indian startup ecosystem where funding slowdowns have shifted focus toward profitability.
The development also arrives as Flipkart advances preparations for a potential domestic IPO. The company has held early discussions with investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Kotak Mahindra Capital to explore feasibility. Industry sources indicate a possible listing timeline of late 2026 or early 2027, though the final size and schedule remain undecided.
In December 2025, Flipkart received National Company Law Tribunal approval to shift its holding company domicile from Singapore back to India. a key regulatory step that simplifies the group structure ahead of a public market debut.
Controlled by Walmart, Flipkart remains one of India’s largest e-commerce platforms, locked in fierce competition with Amazon. In a market where every rupee counts and every headcount is scrutinised, the latest cuts aren’t just housekeeping, they’re part of a bigger balancing act between growth ambitions and the road to listing.
