Flipkart sees 1.4X jump from emerging trade hubs during festive season

Flipkart is seeing India’s e-commerce story deepen beyond metros, with new trade hubs like Surat, Bhiwandi, Jaipur, and Karnal driving a 1.4X rise in new selection inflow during the festive season. The homegrown marketplace said the surge reflects how entrepreneurs from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are scaling sustainable, technology-led businesses on the platform.

Among these fast-growing clusters, Bhubaneswar, Bhiwandi, and Durgapur saw the sharpest rise in festive activity. Meanwhile, Meerut and Lucknow are emerging as the next wave of trade centres, witnessing double-digit growth in both transacting sellers and selection, a sign of maturing digital commerce networks outside traditional metros.

The festive demand also spurred category shifts, with spikes in automobiles, TVs, sports shoes, and makeup and fragrances, indicating both evolving consumer preferences and deeper market penetration across smaller cities.

“India’s new trade centers, whether it’s Surat, Meerut, or Lucknow, are fast becoming engines of e-commerce growth,” said Sakait Chaudhary, senior vice president and head of Marketplace at Flipkart. “These regions exemplify how access to digital tools, data insights, and transparent processes can empower local entrepreneurs to scale rapidly. With platforms like the intuitive Seller Dashboard and the AI-powered NXT Insights, we are helping sellers make smarter, more informed decisions.”

The Seller Dashboard provides real-time business analytics, while NXT Insights uses data-led guidance to help sellers optimise pricing and inventory decisions. Together, Flipkart said these tools are enabling sellers to respond to demand patterns more effectively and grow their businesses with greater agility.

The company also highlighted efforts to simplify GST compliance for its seller base through automatic dashboard updates and proactive communication on revised tax slabs. Flipkart said these initiatives have already helped sellers pass on more than ₹200 crore in GST benefits to customers - part of its larger push to strengthen transparency and ease of doing business on the platform.

“At Flipkart, we remain committed to enabling this transformation, making e-commerce a platform for inclusive and sustainable growth,” Chaudhary added.

With over 1.4 million sellers on its marketplace and a registered user base exceeding 500 million, Flipkart said it remains focused on empowering Bharat and driving the next phase of India’s inclusive digital commerce growth.