e-commerce
Zepto ATOM gets personal with brands through powerful persona play
MUMBAI: Guess who’s checking you out before you even check out? Zepto is flipping the quick commerce script with a powerful new upgrade to its brand intelligence platform, Zepto ATOM. The latest feature, ‘Consumer Persona’, promises to make your data talk and it’s fluent in insights, psychographics, and pin code-level purchase patterns.
Think of it as a personal shopper for brands only smarter, faster, and built with data science. Whether it’s figuring out why someone didn’t add that chocolate bar to cart, when they’ll most likely return for dog food, or how diet preferences shift across Delhi vs. Dadar, Zepto’s persona engine has the answers.
“From multi-agency guesswork to real-time decision-making, this changes the game,” said Zepto chief business officer Devender Meel. “Brands can now engage with AI-powered personas, test messaging live, and optimise their campaigns in the moment.”
Zepto ATOM’s suite now includes:
● Chat with Synthesised Personas: Marketers can interact with AI avatars that mimic real customers to pressure-test ideas and pricing.
● Hyperlocal Campaign Launcher: Roll out ads based on city-level psychographics or cart behaviour in minutes.
● Upcoming features: Run city-specific surveys and tap into fresh audiences via sampling campaigns.
Zepto assures that all of this remains privacy-safe no personally identifiable information (PII) is involved. Insights are anonymised, yet razor-sharp.
More than 100 brands, including Tata Consumer Products, Mars, Henkel, The Whole Truth, Sid’s Farm, and Bagrry’s, are already aboard. Since launch in May 2025, Zepto ATOM has logged 40,000 plus usage hours, with over 1,500 brands participating in trial phases.
“Zepto GPT and pin code-level Geo insights have helped us pivot strategies at lightning speed,” said Shriram from Tata Consumer Products. Mensa Brands’ Ananth Narayan added, “It’s like having a crystal ball for e-commerce, but better because it’s data.”
As the quick commerce race heats up, Zepto’s making sure brands don’t just keep up, they get ahead, one consumer insight at a time.
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.
