E-tailer Flipkart has onboarded 13,000 kiranas in Eastern India ahead of the upcoming festive season and its ‘Big Billion Days’.

These kiranas range from general trade stores to bakeries to tailor shops that have space and have evinced interest in “delivering shipments to nearby areas.”

This expansion is part of the over 50,000 kiranas that Flipkart has onboarded across the country to provide a faster and personalised e-commerce experience to consumers while augmenting an alternate source of income to these stores, the company said in a press release.

Onboarding was done through online application forms. Training on various tools including app-based dashboards and digital payments have also been provided.

Flipkart’s kirana program in the eastern region has been introduced across cities that include Kolkata, Guwahati, Silchar, Noonmati and Shillong.

Since the penetration of modern retail in North Eastern states, is low, onboarding of kiranas will benefit both consumers and kiranas, Flipkart said in its release.

Eastern India, including the North-East, is a fast-growing market for e-commerce with a significant increase in demand being witnessed since the last few years. Consumers are increasingly opting for products across categories like fashion, furniture and large appliances.

According to Amitesh Jha, Senior Vice President, Ekart and Marketplace, Flipkart, the kiranas have one of the highest penetration and showcase effective management of the supply chain drivers. They also maintain long-standing relationship with consumers.

“Through a combination of their hyperlocal presence and innovations by Flipkart, this program has become a great enabler in strengthening the kirana ecosystem in the country. We are pleased to witness the increasing participation from kiranas across the country to reinvent themselves and align with the fast growing e-commerce industry,” he added.

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