Walmart invites select Indian sellers to join U.S. marketplace
Walmart is expanding its India sourcing initiative as part of a new global drive to attract international sellers for its third-party online U.S. marketplace.
The discount giant is now inviting select Indian sellers to apply to join Walmart Marketplace. Selected Indian sellers will be able to use Walmart Fulfillment Services, which will allow them to use Walmart’s warehousing and delivery infrastructure in the U.S. Walmart will also offer Indian sellers access to platform tools designed to help them streamline their operations and manage promotions and feedback.
Walmart says it will also appropriately share U.S. customer insights and global supply chain best practices and business planning strategies with its Indian marketplace sellers to help them succeed in the U.S. The company, which led a $1.2 billion financing round in July 2020 to obtain a 77% majority share in Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart and made a strategic joint investment with Flipkart into Indian agricultural supply chain technology platform Ninjacart in December 2021, has set a goal of exporting $10 billion from India each year by 2027.
According to Walmart, its “Make in India” export commitment reflects India’s continuing rise as a global manufacturing hub and is expected to provide a significant boost to micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in India. The effort joins ongoing MSME-focused initiatives the retailer is supporting in India, such as the Walmart Vriddhi supplier development program.
As part of its expansion in sourcing from India, Walmart intends to help develop hundreds of new suppliers in categories such as food, pharmaceuticals, consumables, health & wellness, general merchandise, apparel, homeware, and other key Indian export categories.
Walmart is also seeking new sellers from India as part of a global drive to attract international sellers and expand Walmart Marketplace’s product assortment.
A dedicated Cross Border Trade team has been set up in India to help sellers onboard and grow on the platform. It supports local sellers to meet applicable international regulations and Walmart responsible sourcing standards, develop new product lines and enhance their capabilities in packaging, marketing, supply chain management and more to upgrade their operations for export. Indian firms such as Delphi Leather India, Mahi Exports, Touchstone Gems & Jewelry and Welspun are among those already participating on Walmart Marketplace.
“Building on our long history of partnership with Indian exporters, Walmart is now offering Indian businesses the opportunity to further their export dreams as Marketplace sellers,” said Michelle Mi, Walmart VP, emerging markets and business development – global sourcing, in a corporate blog post. “They will be able to leverage our global supply chain infrastructure and receive support to help them reach millions of daily customers in the U.S.”
“The opportunity to easily access global consumers can be transformative for Indian sellers,” said Rajneesh Kumar, Flipkart chief corporate affairs officer. “Outstanding ‘Make in India’ brands can expand their global networks, learn export best practices and diversify their product categories in concert with Walmart as they take on the world.”