Walmart sees India as a global growth engine, engages with emerging consumer brand founders

New Delhi, May 10: Highlighting India’s growing importance in the global consumer and digital commerce ecosystem, Walmart President and CEO John Furner on Sunday met a group of Indian entrepreneurs and business leaders building high-growth, digital-first consumer brands.
The interaction brought together founders from sectors such as beauty and personal care, food and beverages, lifestyle and apparel, fragrances, and pet care for discussions with leaders from Walmart and Flipkart on scaling businesses through digital channels and expanding into global markets.
The meeting reflected Walmart’s broader focus on strengthening India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and supporting emerging brands as they look to build for both domestic and international consumers.
“Spending time with founders building consumer brands in India was energising. What stands out is their ambition to build for both India and the world, and the focus they bring to quality, innovation, and customer experience,” said Furner.
“At Walmart, we’re committed to supporting this journey by helping businesses scale and connecting them to customers across markets,” he added.
The discussions also highlighted the growing role of digital marketplaces in enabling Indian brands to reach customers at scale.
Founders shared insights into their business journeys, operational challenges, and the support needed to accelerate future growth.
Kalyan Krishnamurthy said entrepreneurs today are building brands with deeper consumer understanding and long-term ambition.
He noted that platforms like Flipkart are helping businesses expand market access, build capabilities, and scale across India.
“Entrepreneurs today are building brands with stronger consumer understanding, greater ambition, and a long-term mindset. Platforms like Flipkart play an important role in helping these businesses grow by enabling market access, building capabilities, and creating pathways to scale across India,” he said.
Manish Joneja said India’s emerging brands are combining strong product innovation with digital agility to scale rapidly.
According to him, businesses are looking for consistency in demand, operations, and market access, areas where Walmart Marketplace is focusing through capability-building initiatives. (IANS)