Flipkart appoints Dunzo Co-founder Kabeer Biswas to lead Flipkart Minutes

Flipkart has brought on Kabeer Biswas, co-founder of Bengaluru-based instant delivery service Dunzo, to head its quick commerce business, Flipkart Minutes.

The Walmart-owned e-commerce giant is strengthening its presence in India’s fast-growing quick delivery market, where competitors like Zomato’s Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto are locked in fierce competition.

A Shift in Leadership

Biswas co-founded Dunzo in 2014, initially as a small pick-up and drop service on WhatsApp. His leadership helped the company expand across major cities and attract significant funding, including a $240 million round led by Reliance Retail in 2022, which gave Reliance a 25.8% stake in the startup.

Despite substantial investor backing, Dunzo faced financial difficulties, including delayed salary payments and an 18-month period in which Biswas reportedly drew no salary. His departure follows the exits of fellow co-founders Mukund Jha, Dalvir Suri and Ankur Agarwal.

Flipkart Minutes Enters the Fray 

Flipkart’s decision to appoint Biswas underscores its ambition to carve out a significant share of India’s quick commerce market, which is predicted to reach $20 billion by 2026.

Flipkart launched Minutes last year with a focus on delivering items in 10 to 15 minutes. According to company insiders, Biswas will oversee operations and shape the strategic vision of this burgeoning service, which includes deploying dark stores and offering high-value items such as smartphones and laptops for rapid delivery.

Rising Competition in Quick Commerce  

Biswas steps into a sector already crowded with seasoned rivals. Zomato’s Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto have poured resources into building logistics networks and providing ultra-fast deliveries.

Amazon has also rolled out pilot programs for a similar rapid delivery platform. While most global markets have struggled to make quick commerce profitable, India remains a bright spot, driven by dense urban centers, a growing internet population and increasing demand for immediate deliveries.

Implications for Dunzo  

Before joining Flipkart, Biswas reportedly explored alternative ventures and pitched new business ideas to venture capital firms. Dunzo, meanwhile, continues to contend with financial challenges.

Reliance Retail’s investment, once seen as a lifeline, has tapered off, leaving the company in need of fresh capital to maintain operations and fend off stiff competition.

Biswas’s arrival at Flipkart marks another step in the retailer’s efforts to gain ground in urban markets. Flipkart had reportedly considered acquiring Dunzo at one point, but ownership complexities derailed the deal.

Now, with Biswas on board, Flipkart Minutes aims to leverage his deep experience in building and scaling an on-demand delivery service. Whether this move reshapes the quick commerce landscape in India remains to be seen, but it signals that Flipkart is determined to stay a step ahead in a rapidly evolving market.