Less than a year after joining Flipkart to spearhead its quick commerce vertical, Dunzo cofounder Kabeer Biswas has exited the Walmart-owned ecommerce major, people aware of the matter said. The company has appointed Kunal Gupta to helm Flipkart Minutes as it continues to push into the crowded 10-minute delivery category dominated by Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto.
A Flipkart veteran, Gupta currently heads the fashion business for the online retailer and joined the company in 2014 as category head for electronics.
Biswas came on board as vice president at Flipkart Minutes in January this year after Dunzo shut operations amid a cash crunch, having raised $450 million in investor capital. He was reporting to Hemant Badri, who oversees Flipkart Minutes along with the supply chain division. Gupta will also report to Badri.
People familiar with the matter said Biswas had held talks to join Tata Group-owned grocery delivery platform BigBasket, though he denied any such discussions when contacted by ET in August and September.
Kabeer Biswas: Dunzo and Flipkart
Biswas co-founded Dunzo in 2015 with Ankur Agarwal, Dalvir Suri and Mukund Jha as a hyperlocal delivery startup focused on Bengaluru. Amid delayed salaries, a funding squeeze and continued operational challenges, all the founders eventually left, with Biswas being the last to exit last year. In August, ET reported that Reliance Industries had written off its investment in Dunzo, according to its FY25 annual report. Reliance Retail had led a $240-million (around Rs 1,800 crore) funding round in January 2022, acquiring a 26% stake in the Bengaluru-based company.
Also Read: Flipkart Minutes eyes profitability, higher order value via broader product mix
Biswas’s brief stint at Flipkart was seen as an effort to bring experienced execution to the company’s quick commerce ambitions.
Flipkart Minutes
Flipkart Minutes currently operates around 500 dark stores and plans to scale up to about 800 by the end of the year. It is present across 19–20 cities.
Sources said Flipkart has been pushing aggressively into quick commerce, a segment known for high cash burn. “Their cash burn is expected to be around Rs 400 crore per quarter. During the Big Billion Days sale, they touched 4 lakh orders per day pan-India but are now back to the 2–2.5 lakh range,” said a person familiar with the matter.
In response to ET’s queries, a Flipkart spokesperson confirmed the development.
“Kabeer Biswas, vice president, Flipkart Minutes, has decided to move on from the company to pursue other opportunities. He has contributed notably to the growth of Flipkart Minutes and the strengthening of customer experience. Kunal Gupta, vice president and a veteran at Flipkart, will now lead Flipkart Minutes to ensure seamless continuation of business and operations,” the spokesperson said.
Besides Gupta, Flipkart vice president Kanchan Mishra has also been involved in overseeing Flipkart Minutes operations. The quick commerce unit reports to senior vice president Hemant Badri, who heads supply chain for the Flipkart Group.
Biswas’s exit comes shortly after the conclusion of the festive shopping season, which typically accounts for nearly half of annual gross merchandise value for ecommerce companies, with Flipkart also relying heavily on Minutes during the period.
Also Read: Flipkart Minutes adds gourmet range to attract buyers seeking premium products
A Flipkart veteran, Gupta currently heads the fashion business for the online retailer and joined the company in 2014 as category head for electronics.
Biswas came on board as vice president at Flipkart Minutes in January this year after Dunzo shut operations amid a cash crunch, having raised $450 million in investor capital. He was reporting to Hemant Badri, who oversees Flipkart Minutes along with the supply chain division. Gupta will also report to Badri.
People familiar with the matter said Biswas had held talks to join Tata Group-owned grocery delivery platform BigBasket, though he denied any such discussions when contacted by ET in August and September.
Kabeer Biswas: Dunzo and Flipkart
Biswas co-founded Dunzo in 2015 with Ankur Agarwal, Dalvir Suri and Mukund Jha as a hyperlocal delivery startup focused on Bengaluru. Amid delayed salaries, a funding squeeze and continued operational challenges, all the founders eventually left, with Biswas being the last to exit last year. In August, ET reported that Reliance Industries had written off its investment in Dunzo, according to its FY25 annual report. Reliance Retail had led a $240-million (around Rs 1,800 crore) funding round in January 2022, acquiring a 26% stake in the Bengaluru-based company.
Also Read: Flipkart Minutes eyes profitability, higher order value via broader product mix
Biswas’s brief stint at Flipkart was seen as an effort to bring experienced execution to the company’s quick commerce ambitions.
Flipkart Minutes
Flipkart Minutes currently operates around 500 dark stores and plans to scale up to about 800 by the end of the year. It is present across 19–20 cities.
Sources said Flipkart has been pushing aggressively into quick commerce, a segment known for high cash burn. “Their cash burn is expected to be around Rs 400 crore per quarter. During the Big Billion Days sale, they touched 4 lakh orders per day pan-India but are now back to the 2–2.5 lakh range,” said a person familiar with the matter.
In response to ET’s queries, a Flipkart spokesperson confirmed the development.
“Kabeer Biswas, vice president, Flipkart Minutes, has decided to move on from the company to pursue other opportunities. He has contributed notably to the growth of Flipkart Minutes and the strengthening of customer experience. Kunal Gupta, vice president and a veteran at Flipkart, will now lead Flipkart Minutes to ensure seamless continuation of business and operations,” the spokesperson said.
Besides Gupta, Flipkart vice president Kanchan Mishra has also been involved in overseeing Flipkart Minutes operations. The quick commerce unit reports to senior vice president Hemant Badri, who heads supply chain for the Flipkart Group.
Biswas’s exit comes shortly after the conclusion of the festive shopping season, which typically accounts for nearly half of annual gross merchandise value for ecommerce companies, with Flipkart also relying heavily on Minutes during the period.
Also Read: Flipkart Minutes adds gourmet range to attract buyers seeking premium products
