Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Flipkart raises £2.6 billion in latest funding

INDIAN e-commerce company Flipkart has raised $3.6 billion (£2.6bn) in the latest round of funding, ahead of its likely stock market debut.

The fund-raising increased the value of Flipkart to $37.6bn (£27bn), which is more than double the amount that Walmart paid for a majority stake in Flipkart three years ago.


The Bengaluru-based company is expected to make its stock market debut as early this year.

Flipkart's chief executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy said the new funds would help in expansion plans.

"As we serve our consumers, we will focus on accelerating growth for millions of small and medium Indian businesses," he said.

"We will continue to invest in new categories and leverage made-in-India technology to transform consumer experiences and develop a world-class supply chain," Krishnamurthy added in a company statement.

The funding was led by Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Japan's SoftBank and Walmart. Other investors included sovereign wealth funds from Malaysia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

The deal marks the return of SoftBank, which sold its 20 per cent stake in Flipkart to Walmart as part of the 2018 deal.

In 2018, Walmart paid $16bn (£11.6bn) for a 77 per cent stake in Flipkart.

News agency Reuters, reported in September that Flipkart was preparing for an initial public offering outside of India as early as this year.

Since the Walmart deal, Flipkart has added more product categories and increased its warehouse capacity. It competes with Amazon's Indian operation and Reliance Industries for market share.

More For You

uk-rich-getty

Two men speak together as they cross over a footbridge in London's central business district of Canary Wharf. (Photo: Getty Images)

One millionaire leaves UK every 45 minutes, study finds

A RECORD number of millionaires have left the country since Labour took office, with concerns mounting over the party’s tax policies.

A study by New World Wealth and Henley & Partners revealed that Britain lost a net 10,800 millionaires in 2024, marking a 157 per cent rise from the previous year.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK to lead European growth in 2025, predicts IMF

FILE PHOTO: A view of the Bank of England and the financial district, in London, Britain. REUTERS/Mina Kim.

UK to lead European growth in 2025, predicts IMF

BRITAIN is set to have the fastest growth among major European economies this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, a boost to finance minister Rachel Reeves who is under pressure over a slowdown since her party came to power in July.

The IMF has raised its forecast for British growth for 2025 by 0.1 percentage points to 1.6 per cent, making it the third-strongest among the Group of Seven advanced economies after the US and Canada.

Keep ReadingShow less
Reliance Industries

Revenue from operations rose 6.97 per cent year-on-year to £22.99 bn, with growth seen across all divisions. (Photo: Reuters)

REUTERS

Reliance Industries reports 7.38 per cent rise in quarterly profit

RELIANCE INDUSTRIES reported a 7.38 per cent year-on-year increase in profit for the December quarter on Thursday, driven by growth in its consumer-focused divisions.

The company, led by Mukesh Ambani, remains India’s most valuable by market capitalisation.

Keep ReadingShow less
India faces growth challenge
as global uncertainty mounts

Narendra Modi (left) and Nirmala Sitaraman

India faces growth challenge as global uncertainty mounts

AFTER world-beating economic growth last year, India’s policymakers are scrambling to prevent a sharp slowdown as worsening global conditions and declining domestic confidence undo a recent stock market rally.

Last Tuesday (7), Asia’s third-largest economy forecast 6.4 per cent annual growth for the fiscal year ending in March, the slowest in four years and below initial projections, weighed down by weaker investment and manufacturing.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK-GDP
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions seen on June 22, 2023 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)

GDP rises just 0.1 per cent in November following Reeves’ budget

THE ECONOMY grew by 0.1 per cent in November, marking a slight recovery after contractions in September and October, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This modest increase followed chancellor Rachel Reeves’ October budget, which introduced significant tax hikes for businesses. However, the growth was weaker than the 0.2 per cent rise expected by economists.

Keep ReadingShow less