Walmart’s John Furner meets India’s digital-first founders, pitches global scale opportunities

Walmart Inc. president and CEO John Furner on Friday met a group of Indian entrepreneurs building digital-first consumer brands, as the US retail giant sharpened its focus on helping local businesses scale through e-commerce and global marketplace access.

The closed-door interaction in New Delhi brought together founders from sectors including beauty and personal care, food and beverages, lifestyle, apparel, fragrances and pet care. Senior leaders from Walmart and Flipkart discussed how emerging Indian brands are navigating growth, expanding through online channels and exploring overseas markets.

The meeting comes days after Walmart’s Growth Summit India 2026, held on May 7, which drew registrations from more than 5,000 MSMEs, emerging brands and supply chain partners looking to expand across domestic and international markets.

“Spending time with founders building consumer brands in India was energizing. 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. At Walmart, we’re committed to supporting this journey by helping businesses scale and connecting them to customers across markets,” Furner said.

The conversations reflected Walmart’s broader India strategy, where the company is increasingly positioning itself not only as a retailer and marketplace operator, but also as a long-term enabler for exporters, sellers and small businesses seeking international scale.

Executives said founders highlighted the need for predictable demand, smoother operations and better market access as they look to grow beyond India’s increasingly crowded digital commerce space.

“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,” said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, group CEO of Flipkart Group.

Krishnamurthy added that the company remains focused on supporting sellers and entrepreneurs “at every stage of their journey” as they expand across markets.

Walmart Marketplace senior vice president Manish Joneja said Indian brands are combining product innovation with digital agility to grow rapidly, but require greater consistency in operations and demand visibility.

“What we’re hearing from founders is a clear need for consistency across demand, operations, and market access. Our focus is on enabling these fundamentals through Walmart Marketplace and capability-building initiatives, so more businesses can grow with confidence and compete globally,” Joneja said.

The founders attending the interaction included representatives from Bella Vita, Organic Tattva, VAHDAM India, P-TAL, Jugmugshoes and SVA Organics, among others.

The outreach also aligns with Walmart’s larger ambition of building an integrated ecosystem in India spanning sourcing, digital commerce, payments and supply chain support, while connecting Indian sellers with consumers in global markets.