Marking his first visit to India since taking over as CEO of Walmart in February, John Furner recently visited IPO-bound investee companies Flipkart and PhonePe. According to sources, Furner addressed separate town halls at both companies over the past two days in Bengaluru and held one-on-one meetings with their leadership teams.  

He also visited Walmart Global Tech India, the company’s global innovation hub in the city, sources said. Furner is also expected to meet a select group of MSMEs and members of the seller ecosystem, in line with Walmart’s target of sourcing $10 billion annually from India by 2027. 

Furner’s visit follows Walmart’s tradition of its global CEOs visiting India at least once a year. In June 2025, Doug McMillon, Steuart Walton, and Kath McLay met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss Walmart’s expanding partnership with India, with a focus on job creation, skilling initiatives, and boosting exports from India to global markets. 

In mid-January this year, Walmart announced sweeping changes to its leadership team, appointing John Furner as CEO effective February 1 as part of its 'People Led, Tech Powered' strategy. The company also elevated Seth Dallaire to the role of Chief Growth Officer for Walmart Inc., overseeing global enterprise platforms such as Walmart Connect and Walmart Data Ventures. Additionally, Chris Nicholas was appointed President and CEO of Walmart International, overseeing operations across 17 countries, including India. 

During its latest earnings call, Walmart said growth in the net sales of its international segment was driven by China, Walmex, and Flipkart, with strong momentum across both physical stores and e-commerce operations. The company also indicated that learnings from India, particularly in the quick commerce segment, could potentially be adapted and implemented in the US market. 

In India, both of Walmart’s key investments, Flipkart and PhonePe, are preparing for IPOs. Flipkart recently announced several new leadership appointments across compliance and strategy functions as part of its listing preparations. PhonePe, on the other hand, recently deferred its offer-for-sale (OFS) issue. However, promoter Walmart, through WM Digital Commerce Holdings Pte. Ltd., which holds a 71.77% stake on a fully diluted basis, is expected to retain a controlling stake in the company even after the listing.