e-commerce
Flipkart to roll out video streaming for members of Plus loyalty program
MUMBAI: Amid the fierce battle of existing players, the Indian over-the-top (OTT) market is going to see the entry of another player. Walmart Inc.’s Flipkart is planning to roll out video streaming for members of its Flipkart Plus loyalty program by September.
According to a report by Bloomberg Quint, the service is now in beta stage. Moreover, it will enter the market ahead of the Diwali season. It will help the e-commerce platform to catch up with its main rival Amazon which houses award-winning shows such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for global audiences and popular shows in local languages like Mirzapur.
Initially, Flipkart will rely on licensed content from Walt Disney Co., local studios like Balaji Telefilms. It won’t take the route of burning cash for original content first. Rather, it would bring in-house content later.
Flipkart Plus video-streaming will come free just like its no-subscription fee loyalty program unlike Amazon where it has subscription for prime members. According to the report, Flipkart shoppers can become members by amassing 300 “super coins,” at a rate of 2 for every Rs 100 ($1.40) spent on its platform. Back in 2018, Walmart paid $16 billion for control of Indian e-commerce platform Flipkart.
MUMBAI: From flights to tracks, Cleartrip is now trying to keep every journey on the same ticket. Cleartrip, part of Flipkart, has launched train ticket bookings through a partnership with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, marking its entry into India’s vast rail travel ecosystem.
The integration allows users to search, book and manage train journeys directly within the app, as the company pushes towards becoming a unified, multi-modal travel platform. The move plugs Cleartrip into one of the world’s largest transportation networks, where over 800 million reserved passengers travel annually, alongside a daily footfall of around 23 million across Indian Railways.
The offering includes bookings across routes nationwide, covering General and Tatkal quotas as per Ministry of Railways guidelines. Users can also access real-time seat availability, fare insights, PNR status tracking, berth preferences and digital payment options within a single interface.
The expansion reflects a broader shift in travel platforms from specialising in a single mode to stitching together end-to-end journeys. For Cleartrip, the bet is not just on scale, but on simplifying a system often seen as complex and fragmented.
Company executives said the focus is on embedding predictive intelligence and personalisation into the booking journey, aiming to make everything from discovery to post-booking support faster and more intuitive.
The train booking feature is currently live on the app, with plans to extend it to the web platform soon, signalling a push towards a seamless cross-platform experience.
In a country where railways move billions each year, the next battleground for travel apps may well be decided not in the skies, but on the tracks.
