India’s retail battlefield is shifting screens—and Flipkart wants to lead the charge. Backed by Walmart and armed with fresh momentum, the e-commerce major is aggressively scaling its video commerce and livestreaming capabilities, aiming to turn Gen Z’s scrolling habits into serious shopping revenue.
As the country’s 650 million smartphone users grow more visual and mobile-first, Flipkart sees a golden opportunity: build an engaging, creator-led commerce ecosystem that blends content, community, and consumption. Think TikTok meets QVC.
From Browsing to Buying: Video at the Heart of the Funnel
“Users prefer to watch a video and make a decision,” says Neha Agrahari, Senior Director at Flipkart. That preference is now shaping platform strategy. In just the first half of 2025, more than 200 million users interacted with Flipkart’s video content, nearly tripling from the 75 million logged in the same period last year.
Much of this growth is being fueled by India’s Tier II and III cities, where 65% of video-led engagement now originates—a signal that Flipkart’s content strategy is resonating beyond metro elites and deep into the Indian heartland.
Shopping Goes Live: Influencers, Demos, and Instant Conversions
Flipkart isn’t just investing in pre-recorded clips. Its livestream shopping playbook—a format that’s booming in China—is gaining ground in India. From product stress tests like water-soaked shirts to live phone drop tests, content creators are mixing entertainment with utility, driving real-time product interest.
The company has recorded a 17x jump in daily livestream engagement year-over-year.
Building the Infrastructure: Studios for Scale
To professionalize its creator ecosystem, Flipkart is building physical production hubs in Gurugram, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. These studios will allow content creators to shoot, test, and broadcast product reviews and demos, helping Flipkart scale content quality without compromising authenticity.
A Gen Z-First Strategy
For a generation that prefers reels over reviews and creators over call centres, Flipkart’s content-first approach aligns with shifting shopping behaviours. Categories like fashion, beauty, and home décor have already been optimized for video—and electronics and fitness are next in line.
As Amazon and JioMart also court India’s online retail boom, Flipkart’s differentiation lies in format innovation. By blending entertainment with e-commerce, it’s not just selling products—it’s building a shoppable experience layer across its platform.
The Bigger Picture: India’s Retail Revolution
With 270 million online shoppers and a booming e-retail ecosystem, India recently overtook the United States to become the second-largest e-commerce market in the world. Flipkart’s video-first strategy is a long-term play to capture this growth—especially as consumer decisions increasingly hinge on influencer voices and visual validation.
Flipkart’s move isn’t just a feature update—it’s a strategic pivot. By anchoring commerce in creator content and localized storytelling, it’s rewriting the digital shopping script for India’s next billion users.
