| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where was it founded? | Bengaluru, India |
| Where is it headquartered? | Bengaluru, India |
| Who controls it? | Walmart, an American company |
| Where is its holding company? | India, since March 2026. Before that, Singapore |
Flipkart: the history in brief
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, both former Amazon employees, start Flipkart in Bengaluru as an online bookseller. |
| 2014 | Flipkart buys the online fashion retailer Myntra for US$280 million. |
| 2016 | It acquires the payments start-up PhonePe in April and the fashion retailer Jabong in July. |
| May 2018 | Walmart announces it will buy a 77% controlling stake for US$16 billion. |
| August 2018 | The Walmart deal is completed on 18 August. Walmart later raises its stake to 81.3%. |
| March 2026 | Flipkart moves its holding company from Singapore to India, with an Indian stock market listing planned. |
Why the answer is "both"
Three different things decide which country a company belongs to: where it started, where it is run from, and who owns it. For Flipkart the first two are India and the third is the United States.
The company began in Bengaluru, built its business entirely in the Indian market, and has always had its operating headquarters there. Its ownership is another matter. Like many Indian start-ups of its time, Flipkart raised money from foreign investors and placed its holding company in Singapore. Walmart then bought most of those investors out in 2018.
Who owns Flipkart
Walmart is the controlling shareholder. It announced the purchase of 77% of Flipkart on 9 May 2018 for US$16 billion, after competing with Amazon for the company, and completed the deal on 18 August 2018. SoftBank sold its stake of about 20% to Walmart as part of the deal, and eBay sold its shares back. Walmart later increased its holding to 81.3%.
Neither founder runs the company now. Kalyan Krishnamurthy is chief executive.
The move back to India
On 9 March 2026, TechCrunch reported that Flipkart had moved its headquarters entity from Singapore back to India. The change of domicile was a step towards a public listing: the company was aiming for a stock market debut in India in the financial year ending March 2027.
The move does not change who owns Flipkart. It changes which country's law the top company in the group is registered under, which matters for where it can list its shares and how it is taxed and regulated.
Frequently asked questions
Is Flipkart an Indian company?
Yes by origin and base: it was founded in Bengaluru in 2007 and is headquartered there. Its majority owner, Walmart, is American.
Is Flipkart owned by Walmart?
Yes. Walmart bought a 77% stake in 2018 for US$16 billion and later raised its holding to 81.3%.
Who founded Flipkart?
Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, in October 2007. Both had worked at Amazon.
Is Flipkart listed on the stock market?
Not as of the reports we have read. In March 2026 it moved its holding company to India and was aiming to list in India in the financial year ending March 2027.
Sources
- Flipkart, Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org. Accessed 11 October 2026. Founding, acquisitions, and the dates and size of the Walmart deal. Secondary source.
- Flipkart moves its headquarters back to India ahead of IPO, TechCrunch, 9 March 2026. techcrunch.com. Accessed 11 October 2026. The move from Singapore to India and the planned listing.
