Flipkart unit shuts courier and hyperlocal services

The move was seen as a way to boost earnings from non-core businesses; focus on core business model

Ekart, logistics unit of Flipkart, the country's largest e-commerce marketplace, has shut its customer-facing courier service and hyperlocal delivery project here, less than a year after launching both.

The supply chain business, so far seen as one of the strongest units of Flipkart, has been hit by a wave of consolidation. The change comes soon after Ekart head Saikiran Krishnamurthy quit, with Chief People Officer Nitin Seth taking over the reigns last month.

“Beginning February 5, it (Ekart) no longer operates its customer-to-customer courier service, started in May 2016, that gave people the option of having documents and parcels packed