e-commerce
YouTube adds Nykaa and Purplle to shopping affiliate programme as beauty commerce booms
MU7MBAI: YouTube is turning beauty tutorials into storefronts. The video platform has added Nykaa and Purplle to its shopping affiliate programme, expanding creators’ ability to monetise content as shopping-related watch time in India jumps 250 per cent year-on-year.
The move doubles down on beauty and lifestyle, a category where 89 per cent of Indian shoppers say YouTube helps them make confident purchase decisions. Creators enrolled in the programme can now tag products from Nykaa and Purplle alongside existing partners Flipkart and Myntra, earning commissions when viewers buy.
More than 40 per cent of eligible creators in India have signed up since the programme launched a year ago, tagging products in over three million videos. Over 200 million logged-in users in India have made shopping-related searches on YouTube, creating what the platform calls a “complete monetisation ecosystem”.
“The next era of video commerce is already being defined by India’s vibrant creator economy on YouTube,” says YouTube India managing director Gunjan Soni. “We are scaling content-driven shopping from a successful programme to a complete monetisation ecosystem.”
YouTube is sweetening the deal with artificial intelligence tools that automatically tag products the moment they’re mentioned in videos, capturing viewer interest at its peak. The platform will also test automatic product identification later this year.
Flipkart vice president of growth and marketing Pratik Arun Shetty, frames the partnership as commerce meeting creativity. “India’s creator economy is transforming how people engage with brands,” he says. Myntra reports creator collaborations have grown threefold in the past year, whilst Nykaa positions itself as a pioneer in content-led commerce.
YouTube is also rolling out tools to make brand deals more lucrative: a flexible format for inserting and replacing sponsored segments, links to brand sites in Shorts, and a Creator Partnerships Hub inside Google Ads to connect advertisers with influencers.
It’s a bet that authenticity converts. Whether creators cash in or merely chase clicks will depend on whether viewers trust recommendations—or just skip to the comments.
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.
