Flipkart Quick will debut at select locations in Bengaluru, the company said.
Flipkart announced on Tuesday that it would offer 90-minute deliveries for groceries and home accessories as Walmart's online retailer battles Amazon.com Inc in a key ecommerce growth market.
Flipkart said its hyper-local service, called Flipkart Quick, will also sell cell phones and stationery, which goes a step further than existing fast delivery services, which mainly offer food only.
Flipkart Quick will debut at select locations in Bengaluru without specifying a launch date.
With the new service, Flipkart competes more directly with the BigBasket supported by Amazon and Alibaba, both of which offer fast delivery of food. Bengaluru-based Flipkart will also stand up to the upstart JioMart, who is supported by Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia.
Dunzo-backed Google and Naspers-backed Swiggy also offer grocery deliveries in India The service could be lucrative for businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic as more Indians order essential items such as groceries online.
"In the middle of the pandemic year, supply chains changed drastically," Flipkart said in a statement. "The hyperlocal category, known to many as convenience, has become a long-term, essential service for the country."
Last week Flipkart announced that it had acquired Walmart's local cash-and-carry business to strengthen its wholesale offering for mom and pop stores.
(Except for the headline, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and published from a syndicated feed.)
