Flipkart on Monday said it will create more than 250,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, including gig roles, for the festive season, with nearly 75,000 of them going to first-time workforce entrants.
The roles span over 7,000 Ekart facilities, covering fulfilment centres, sortation hubs and last-mile delivery operations, the company said in a statement. Last-mile delivery accounts for 60% of the new additions, or nearly 140,000 opportunities, supported by more than 900 new festive delivery hubs that have come up ahead of its flagship festive sales event, Big Billion Days. The company attributed much of the capacity expansion to growth in its quick commerce business Minutes and continued expansion into Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.
“This year, we are expanding our fulfilment and last-mile network significantly to meet rising customer demand,” said Hemant Badri, senior vice-president, supply chain, customer experience and re-commerce, Flipkart Group. “The addition of over 900 festive delivery hubs and nearly 140,000 last-mile opportunities reflects the scale at which the network is growing, particularly as Flipkart Minutes expands and demand continues to deepen across Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.” Women now account for over 20% of Flipkart’s supply chain workforce, it said, adding that participation of persons with disabilities has risen across warehouse and delivery operations.
Its Supply Chain Operations Academy, run with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, NCVET and ITI Kalyani, has issued nearly 10,000 certifications ahead of the festive season, the company said.
Rajneesh Kumar, chief corporate affairs officer, Flipkart Group, said the company’s focus was on ensuring growth in digital commerce “creates pathways into employment and entrepreneurship for more people, including communities that have historically had fewer opportunities to participate in the formal economy.”
Flipkart said it continues to offer its supply chain workforce medical and accident insurance, a 24×7 doctor-on-call facility and support for e-Shram registration.
The platform has over 1.4 million sellers, including those on Shopsy, and a registered user base of more than 500 million.