Flipkart is nurturing another internal startup, this time led by Vice President and Chief of Staff Ashish Vijayvergiya, as per news reports. He is preparing to launch a new business within the Walmart-owned group, following the in-house entrepreneurship model that birthed successful ventures like PhonePe and super.money.
Ashish Vijayvergiya has been with Flipkart for over 10 years. He was considering leaving to start his own company, but Flipkart’s management convinced him to stay and build the business within the group. The original plan was for a fantasy gaming platform, but that may change. The idea is now more likely to focus on content or consumer engagement. While details are still being worked out, the startup will operate under Flipkart, much like other in-house ventures.
Flipkart has done this before. In 2022, senior VP Prakash Sikaria planned to exit but was asked to stay and launched super.money, a fintech app backed by Flipkart. It now runs like a separate startup and is reportedly in talks to raise $60–100 million at a $1 billion valuation, according to Moneycontrol.
A similar story played out with PhonePe, which started inside Flipkart in 2015 and was later spun off. Today, it’s worth over $15 billion. Vijayvergiya’s startup is expected to follow the same pattern, incubated within Flipkart, and possibly spun out later.
Also Read: India’s $100 Billion Startup IPO Boom: Flipkart, PhonePe & Oyo Eye Listings by 2027
This move comes even as Walmart, Flipkart’s parent company, has asked the team to cut monthly spending from $40 million to $20 million. However, Flipkart continues to support key leaders to build new ideas, showing that innovation is a priority, even in tighter financial times.
Ashish Vijayvergiya’s upcoming venture shows that Flipkart continues to bet on internal entrepreneurship. By building new startups from within, the company is able to retain top talent while exploring new business opportunities.
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Published on: May 8, 2025, 2:00 PM IST
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