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Walmart to focus on small startup acquihires in India
MUMBAI: Walmart is looking for tech acquisitions in India. The retailer, which agreed to acquire home-grown e-commerce platform Flipkart in May, is now looking for tech acquisition to strengthen its technology unit Walmart Labs.
Unlike other overseas internet companies such as Amazon and Google, the Arkansas-based company will eye acqui-hire/acquisitions involving small amounts. Acqui-hiring refers to the practice of buying a company in a cut-price deal primarily for the purpose of ‘hiring’ the company’s founders and key employees.
“We got close to doing a couple of (acquisitions)… nothing that was a perfect fit. There were a couple that would have been interesting additions to our competitive intelligence platform. I’m looking at (acquisition candidates) in merchandising, machine learning right now,” said Walmart chief technology officer Jeremy King as quoted by publication Mint.
King also said that Walmart Labs will hire 2,000 engineers across the world, including India. Last year, Walmart Labs hired Hari Vasudev from Flipkart to head its Bengaluru office. Vasudev is also now acting head of data science for Walmart globally. Walmart Labs will hire more senior tech talent in Bengaluru.
“The initial team in Bengaluru was only 30 people and now we have several hundreds. We’re hiring machine learning experts, anyone who’s got merchandising and supply chain experience, data science and cloud experts… just high-quality engineers. We also have some product openings,” the report quoted him as stating.
Having set up its centre in Bengaluru, Walmart completes the acquisition of Flipkart, which is expected to be wrapped up this quarter; Walmart Labs will work closely with the tech team of the Indian online retailer. Other American retail and tech firms such as Amazon, Uber, Target and others have tech centres in Bengaluru as hiring engineers here is far cheaper than in the US.
The acquisitions will, however, be of a much smaller size in comparison to the investment of $16 billion to buy 77 per cent stake in Flipkart.
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YFLO appoints Tania Nijhawan as president for 2026-27 term
Dentist-entrepreneur to lead women’s body amid rising focus on leadership
NEW DELHI: Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO), the women’s arm of FICCI, has appointed Tania Nijhawan as its president for the 2026-27 tenure, effective April 2026, at a time when conversations around women’s leadership in India are gaining fresh momentum.
A cosmetic and paediatric dentist with over 15 years of experience, Nijhawan is the founder of Udana Wellness, a multi-speciality clinic in Vasant Vihar known for its focus on advanced treatments and patient-centric care. She also serves as director at Nijhawan Group and is an active investor in start-ups across health, wellness and hospitality, including Nuts For Us.
Her academic credentials include advanced training from global institutions such as New York University, the University of Southern California and University College London, shaping her multidisciplinary approach across dentistry and wellness.
YFLO has long positioned itself as a platform for leadership, entrepreneurship and professional growth, bringing together women across industries to drive dialogue and collaboration. Under Nijhawan’s leadership, the organisation is expected to sharpen its focus on cross-sector engagement and meaningful, future-facing conversations.
Speaking on her appointment, Tania Nijhawan said, “YFLO has always stood for meaningful engagement and forward-thinking dialogue. I look forward to building a platform that not only encourages exchange of ideas but also actively supports emerging voices and creates opportunities for collaboration across sectors.”
She added, “The Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to reserve 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, is not just a policy shift, it is a generational opportunity. It acknowledges the urgent need for women to have a stronger voice in shaping the nation’s future. True progress lies not just in representation, but in enabling women to lead with agency, confidence and impact.”
As president, Nijhawan will focus on curated programming, high-impact industry conversations and initiatives that bring together women across disciplines. Her theme for the year, “Lead With Your Light,” signals a push towards purpose-led leadership and greater confidence among emerging voices.
Her appointment marks a new chapter for YFLO, one that aims to align leadership, enterprise and policy at a time when women’s voices are increasingly central to India’s growth story.
