India’s online fashion market is entering a new phase—one where consumers are increasingly discovering what to buy before they decide where to buy.

From creator-led inspiration and short-form videos to AI-powered personalization and rapidly shifting trend cycles, the rules of fashion retail are changing. Flipkart Fashion believes this shift is creating its biggest opportunity yet.

Kapil Thirani, vice president and head, Flipkart Fashion, says the company is seeing strong momentum in fashion being driven not by conventional ecommerce triggers, but by younger consumers, especially Gen Z, and growing demand beyond metros.

“Fashion consumption itself is evolving. Consumers are no longer coming with a fixed intent to search and buy. Inspiration starts from content, creators, communities and trends,” Thirani told Fortune India in his first media interaction after taking over the role.

For Flipkart, that behavioural shift is becoming central to strategy.

While the company did not disclose Flipkart Fashion’s contribution to overall group revenues or earnings, Thirani indicated that fashion has emerged as a significant customer acquisition engine for the platform, with Gen Z-led demand and rising engagement from tier-II and tier-III markets contributing meaningfully to growth momentum.

Why is Gen Z becoming the biggest force shaping fashion commerce?

According to Thirani, Gen Z today accounts for nearly 40–50% of India’s ecommerce shopper base and has emerged as a major driver of fashion-led customer acquisition. Unlike previous generations that approached online shopping with utility in mind, younger shoppers increasingly treat fashion as a discovery journey.

Consumers are no longer searching for generic categories such as T-shirts or jeans. Instead, they are looking for trend-specific styles—from oversized silhouettes and streetwear to Korean-inspired fashion and ethnic fusion.

That has forced platforms to rethink the entire commerce funnel.

“Discovery today is becoming highly personalised. What one consumer sees is very different from what another sees,” says Thirani.

This evolution is also changing how ecommerce companies think about content.

At Flipkart, fashion engagement is increasingly being built through videos, creator collaborations and AI-generated catalog experiences. The company says sellers are being equipped with video-generation capabilities and richer visual merchandising formats aimed at improving product discovery and conversion.

The strategy extends beyond the platform itself.

Flipkart is actively distributing fashion-led content across social ecosystems and creator networks while integrating visual storytelling deeper into product pages and browsing journeys.

The company recently launched GRWM GRWM, a fashion-led campaign inspired by the social media format “Get Ready With Me”, aimed at turning shopping into a content and culture-led experience for younger consumers.

The larger thesis, however, goes beyond campaigns.

Can content, speed and supply redefine fashion ecommerce?

Behind the scenes, the company is adapting to a market where trend cycles are shortening and supply chains need to move faster.

Traditional fashion operated on seasonal production calendars. Today’s consumers expect near real-time access to emerging trends. To address this, Flipkart is strengthening relationships across manufacturing hubs including Tiruppur, Surat, Ludhiana and eastern India while expanding seller participation across categories.

Speed, Thirani says, is becoming another important differentiator.

While quick commerce has largely been associated with groceries and essentials, fashion is beginning to adopt similar expectations. Flipkart Fashion is working more closely with Flipkart Minutes to enable faster delivery across selected categories such as activewear and essentials.

Yet perhaps the biggest opportunity remains outside India’s largest cities. Tier-II and tier-III markets are increasingly shaping fashion consumption, helped by rising smartphone penetration, digital access and growing aspirations.

“Consumers in these markets are value-conscious but aspirational. They are willing to pay if they see value,” says Thirani.

Interestingly, Flipkart does not view premiumisation and affordability as opposing forces.

The company recently expanded its zero-commission policy for fashion beyond products priced below ₹1,000, opening up higher-value assortments and broader seller participation.

Looking ahead to FY27, Thirani sees one clear growth engine: the intersection of Gen Z and non-metro India.

As fashion increasingly becomes a function of algorithms, creators and digital culture, ecommerce platforms may find that the next wave of growth is less about transactions—and more about influence.