e-commerce
Kingfisher to launch Pitchers app to answer all nightlife queries
MUMBAI: Acknowledging the power of digital, United Beverage’s flagship alcobev brand Kingfisher is all set to launch an aggregator cum classified app targeting urban nightlife. The beverage giant couldn’t have come up with a better name than ‘Pitchers’, hence giving a recall to its brand association with TVF’s popular web series ‘Pitchers’ which had Kingfisher as sponsors.
While addressing a summit at Goafest 2016, United Beverages Limited marketing SVP Samar Singh Sheikhawat announced the app, “Our consumers are constantly on the lookout for fun exciting nightlife destinations, and often that information is not curated and presented to them in a sensible manner. This app will be a one stop shop for them for any night life related queries — it could be about pubs, clubs, a fancy eating joint or places with live gigs.”
Expected to be available at the Google Play store within the next five days with a soft launch in Bengaluru, Sheikhawat shared that the app would compete with the likes of Zomato and Foodpanda, with focus on nightlife being its key differentiating factor. Sheikhawat revealed that Kingfisher was eyeing Delhi and Mumbai next for the launch (in no particular order).
“The app will share the entire listing of all the restaurants and pubs, provided that they have a liquor license, unlike Zomato. It will answer frequently asked questions about ‘what is the dress code’, ‘what are the charges as couple, singles and stags, ‘will there be valet parking services or not’, ‘how long will the happy hours be’, ‘What is the music going to be like,’ and if ‘the place has an open smoking zone,” etc.
Since Pitchers would be a free app, Sheikhawat explained the revenue model, “We don’t need to make money out of this app. We are into the beer business. This is one of the many ways to reach out to our modern age digitally enabled consumer. We will definitely keep an eye out and see how it evolves into something that can be cashed later.”
Sheikhawat also shared that his company is open to forming commercial deals with local F&B players, be it SMEs or five star, who would like to be showcased on the platform. However, his short term goal is to create a buzz around the app’s utility amongst the company’s consumers. The brand would also ensure that the access to the app is age restricted due to the content that will be showcased on it.
Revealing the marketing and promotion details of new app Sheikhawat said Kingfisher would be careful, “We want to launch the app, get user feedback, fix bugs and explore possibilities and then market it to the masses based on our analytics of sometimes’ worth of use. We can create a song and dance around it anytime we want to, but we would rather iron out all issues before talking about Pitchers.”
With Vijay Mallya making recent headlines for all the wrong reasons, it was inevitable to ask how that affected brand Kingfisher and UBL in general. ”Throughout this time we haven’t seen our shares take a dip. UBL is a completely different entity and a brand on its own. And with Heineken owning 44 per cent stake, we aren’t really worried,” Sheikhawat clarified before signing off.
e-commerce
Flipkart and Uber team up to let users earn Supercoins on rides
New partnership turns everyday commutes into rewarding journeys for millions of Indians.
MUMBAI: Flipkart and Uber have joined forces to give riders a little extra mileage this time, in the form of Supercoins. The two platforms have announced a collaboration that allows Flipkart users to earn 4 per cent of their Uber fare as Supercoins on every eligible ride, up to a maximum of 150 coins per trip, with no cap on total earnings. The coins are credited directly to the user’s Flipkart account and can be redeemed across the Flipkart ecosystem, including Flipkart Minutes, Cleartrip, and partner offerings.
New Uber users or those who haven’t used the app in the last 84 days can earn an additional 150 bonus Supercoins by completing their first ride within 28 days of linking accounts. Users who link their accounts between 15 and 30 April 2026 and complete their first ride within 28 days will receive another 50 bonus SuperCoins.
Flipkart vice president, payments and supercoins Gaurav Arora said, “Supercoins is evolving into a broader rewards layer across everyday use cases. Mobility is a natural extension, and this partnership with Uber allows us to integrate more seamlessly into how customers transact daily.”
Uber director of business development at India and South Asia Arnab Kumar added, “This integration allows us to extend additional benefits to riders in a simple and intuitive way, while building on how users engage with everyday services across platforms.”
The partnership brings together two high-frequency consumer platforms and reflects a growing trend of integrating loyalty rewards into daily mobility and lifestyle experiences.
In a country where commutes are a daily reality, Flipkart and Uber have found a smart way to make every ride a little more rewarding. With Supercoins now earned on the go, users can turn their everyday journeys into opportunities to save and enjoy more across the Flipkart ecosystem. The partnership is a win-win that puts loyalty on the fast lane.
