e-commerce
Flipkart adds a pink touch with majority stake in content hub Pinkvilla
MUMBAI: Shopping just got a splash of pink. Walmart-owned Flipkart has picked up more than 75 per cent in entertainment and lifestyle platform Pinkvilla, valuing it at around 15 million dollars, as part of a bold push to court Gen Z with content-driven commerce.
Founded in 2007, Pinkvilla has grown into a cultural staple with 60 million monthly users and 7.2 million Instagram followers. Its celebrity-fuelled stories, lifestyle updates and digital IPs have built a fiercely loyal base. “Pinkvilla’s robust content IPs and strong connection with its loyal audience are assets that will accelerate our efforts to leverage content as a key driver of growth,” said Flipkart senior vice president for corporate Ravi Iyer.
For Flipkart, the deal is more than an investment, it’s a strategy to blur the lines between entertainment and shopping. One in three Flipkart customers is Gen Z, with video commerce already a major draw. “Our acquisition of Pinkvilla is a critical step in deepening our engagement with Gen Z,” Iyer added. Pinkvilla’s founder and CEO, Nandini Shenoy, called the move a “validation” of the platform’s reach, noting that Flipkart’s backing would help scale operations and deliver even more of the content fans love.
The Bengaluru-based ecommerce giant has been flexing its investment muscle through Flipkart Ventures, with bets on over 20 startups, including logistics enabler Xportel, Factors.ai, and AI-powered recruitment venture Expertia.ai. With Pinkvilla now in its basket, Flipkart is hoping star power and storytelling will spark its next wave of growth.
e-commerce
ONDC names Vibhor Jain MD and CEO; Rohit Lohia joins as CBO, Manoj Thakur as CTO
Leadership formalised as open commerce network sharpens focus on scale and user value
The Open Network for Digital Commerce has formalised Vibhor Jain as managing director and chief executive officer, cementing a leadership transition at India’s ambitious open commerce platform as it pushes for scale and relevance.
Jain, who had been serving as acting chief executive officer since April last year following the exit of Thampy Koshy, steps into the role with effect from 7th April , according to a report by The Economic Times. He previously served as chief operating officer at the government-backed network, which enables buyers and sellers to transact across applications through an open, interoperable system.
Setting out his strategy, Jain underscored the network’s differentiated architecture. “Going forward, we are concentrating on what open, interoperable infrastructure can uniquely enable, things that no single platform has the incentive or the architecture to do,” he said.
He added that the immediate priority is to widen ONDC’s impact across user cohorts often underserved by platform-led commerce. “My priority is to deepen the value ONDC creates for the people it exists to serve: kisaans, karigars, kiranas, gig workers, first-time investors, and daily commuters across India,” he said.
Jain also flagged leadership reinforcement within the organisation, noting that ONDC has “a strong and exciting leadership team in place”, with Rohit Lohia joining as chief business officer and Manoj Thakur as chief technology officer.
With over 18 years of experience spanning entrepreneurship and consulting, Jain brings a track record in technology-led, large-scale transformation programmes and internet businesses. At ONDC, he has been closely involved in shaping strategy and operations as the network seeks to move digital commerce away from platform-centric models towards an open network approach.
Before ONDC, Jain worked with JUMO, where he helped set up the fintech firm’s India operations, and led the India launch of Mobike, handling regulatory, policy and operational aspects of its market entry. Earlier, he co-founded Atlanta Healthcare, an air quality management company, and spent more than a decade in consulting roles at Andersen and EY, advising governments on public policy and technology-driven reforms, including work on the Aadhaar programme and tax systems.
The mandate is clear but the path is complex. As ONDC attempts to rewrite the rules of digital commerce, Jain now carries the burden of turning open architecture into mass adoption, in a market still dominated by platform power.
