e-commerce
Instamart teams up with Home Centre to deliver décor and kitchenware in just 10 minutes
MUMBAI: Instant gratification just got a stylish upgrade. In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Instamart has onboarded Home Centre, bringing premium home décor and kitchenware products to India’s quick commerce circuit—with delivery promised in under 10 minutes.
Starting this week, users in Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Gurgaon can browse and order over 120 curated products from Home Centre via the Instamart app. The offering includes a wide array of everyday and aspirational items—from serveware, dining sets, and organisers to table lamps, clocks, and kitchen essentials.
The move marks a significant shift in quick commerce strategy, as Instamart expands beyond daily necessities into lifestyle retail. With over 35,000 products already spanning groceries and electronics, the company is now catering to urban consumers who expect instant access to products that enhance not just their routines but also their homes.
“At Home Centre, we have always placed consumer needs at the core of our product offering”, said Home Centre India CEO Sitaram Kumar. “Our partnership with Instamart represents an important step forward in meeting the demands of today’s fast-moving consumers, delivering faster, smarter service to match their evolving lifestyles”.
Echoing the sentiment, Instamart CEO Amitesh Jha said, “Instamart is committed to expanding the boundaries of quick commerce. This partnership with Home Centre is a step towards delivering not just essentials, but high-quality lifestyle products on demand—instantly enhancing the homes and lives of our users”.
This isn’t Instamart’s first foray into the lifestyle category. Two years ago, it began offering soft furnishings and décor items, with blankets becoming one of the platform’s most searched products in 2023. Since then, its lifestyle catalogue has grown into the thousands.
The Home Centre partnership represents a new chapter—one where design meets delivery speed, and where your next living room upgrade is only 10 minutes away.
e-commerce
Flipkart rolls out 105 per cent bonus for 20,000 employees
Strong FY25 performance drives payouts even as layoffs and shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: In a year where belts were tightened and rewards loosened, Flipkart seems to be playing both offence and defence trimming roles on one hand while handing out a generous 105 per cent bonus on the other. The Walmart owned e commerce major has rolled out a 105 per cent bonus payout for 2025, covering nearly 20,000 employees, signalling a year of steady operational momentum even as the company navigates restructuring pressures. The payout, communicated internally by chief human resources officer Seema Nair, is tied to performance across key metrics including growth, operational efficiency, financial outcomes and people indicators, a combination that suggests the company is inching closer to its long stated goal of sustainable profitability.
Employees at SD level and below are set to receive their bonuses in March, while payouts for senior leadership, including vice presidents and senior vice presidents, will follow after the close of the performance cycle. The elevated 105 per cent multiplier stands out in a sector where cautious payouts have increasingly become the norm, pointing to what appears to be a relatively strong internal scorecard for FY25.
Yet, the announcement arrives with a noticeable contrast. Earlier this year, Flipkart reduced its workforce by around 300 roles as part of its annual performance review process. While officially framed as performance driven, the juxtaposition of layoffs alongside above target bonuses reflects a more nuanced balancing act, one that prioritises cost discipline while continuing to reward and retain high performing talent.
This dual approach is becoming increasingly common across the technology and e commerce landscape, where companies are navigating an uneven hiring environment while under pressure to deliver profitability. Rewarding top contributors, even amid selective workforce reductions, allows firms to maintain morale and retain critical talent without losing sight of financial prudence.
At the same time, Flipkart is also undergoing leadership shifts that hint at a broader strategic recalibration. Nishant Verman has been appointed senior vice president for corporate development and partnerships, while group chief financial officer Sriram Venkataraman is set to step down. Ravi Iyer will take on expanded responsibilities within the finance function, marking a reshuffle at the top as the company gears up for its next phase.
These changes come amid reports that Flipkart is planning to shift its holding structure back to India, a move widely interpreted as groundwork for a potential public listing. While timelines remain fluid, the combination of stronger financial discipline, leadership restructuring and employee incentivisation suggests a company preparing itself for greater scrutiny and scale.
For employees, the 105 per cent payout offers a welcome boost in what has otherwise been a period of adjustment. For Flipkart, it is a signal that even as it cuts where necessary, it is willing to spend where it counts. In the high stakes game of growth versus profitability, the company appears to be hedging its bets carefully, rewarding performance while reshaping itself for what could be its most defining chapter yet.
