IN FOCUS
Hello Demo,
Imagine opening a quick commerce app and seeing milk priced at 1 rupee (US$0.01). I shop on these apps regularly, and even I would have assumed it was a typo. But the offer on Flipkart Minutes, which I saw in March, was no mistake.
The Walmart-backed ecommerce company is using aggressive discounts to gain ground in India’s quick commerce battle. The cost of competing, however, is steep. Flipkart is burning around US$31 million a month on the business.
It wants to become one of the country’s top two quick commerce players by the end of this year. It’s also piloting food delivery in Bengaluru, hoping lower restaurant commissions and an existing customer base will help it break into a market dominated by Swiggy and Zomato.
Both bets put Flipkart up against established competitors. In our latest premium story, we explore the firm’s strategy to challenge established players and get ahead in two of India’s most competitive markets: quick commerce and food delivery.
Meanwhile, Flipkart has also put its IPO plans on hold indefinitely, citing market uncertainty.
Our second featured story takes a broader look at Asia’s tech IPO pipeline through a tracker that follows upcoming listings across the region. They range from AI startups to data center operators, each with different conditions shaping their market debut plans.
Samreen Ahmad, journalist
TOP STORIES
1️⃣ Flipkart’s costly late push into quick commerce and food delivery
 Illustration by: Ulla The ecommerce innovator, which has features like cash-on-delivery and flexible returns, helped bring millions of Indians online. But in recent years, rivals have gained ground in emerging segments, with Meesho building a value-commerce business and Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart reshaping quick commerce.
Now, Flipkart is catching up. Can its deep pockets help reel in rivals?
2️⃣ Tracking IPOs: AI firms and chipmakers lead Asia listings
Asia’s IPO market is fuelled by the AI boom, with model developers and data center operators gearing up for public listings even as market volatility forces some companies to delay their plans.
Among the most closely watched prospects is Chinese LLM developer Moonshot, which recently closed a funding round at a US$50 billion valuation.
FROM OUR ARCHIVES
Quick commerce is losing money, but investors keep coming
 Photo credit: Shutterstock/ avi_Sharma1030 Flipkart’s costly push into quick commerce brings to mind our story from last month on why investors continue backing the sector despite mounting losses. The piece examines how companies look beyond delivery fees to advertising and other revenue streams, while also highlighting the limits of taking the instant-delivery model beyond groceries.
The company’s determination to win quick commerce even as Zepto puts its IPO plans on hold and other startups in the vertical shut down shows how much is still at stake in the market.
TRENDING NEWS
1️⃣ VinFast offers dealers up to $60,000 to open EV showrooms
Dealer partners who open new electric motorcycle showrooms in Indonesia and the Philippines receive a support package scaled to each showroom’s size, floor area, and dealership standards.
2️⃣ Character.AI files for bankruptcy as Disney bids $20m
The firm had a peak valuation of US$2.5 billion in August 2024 and was previously backed by Andreessen Horowitz.
3️⃣ DeepSeek to lead seed round for robotics startup Winverse AI
The deal would value Winverse at about US$400 million after the investment and add to DeepSeek’s work in embodied AI, which applies AI models to physical systems such as robots.
4️⃣ Indian fintech firm Juspay revenue rises 30% to $75m
The SoftBank-backed company reported a US$10 million net loss for FY26 as it invested in expansion abroad and AI.
5️⃣ Vertex Ventures leads $3m seed in AI science startup Drylab
Drylab says it will use the funding to hire sales staff, expand its engineering and biology teams, and seek security and compliance certifications.
CROSS-BORDER GROWTH AND TALENT
Get insights on regional expansion and workforce empowerment
Following morning discussions on compliance and AI, the EMERGE: Shaping the Next Generation of Corporate Services summit shifts focus to strategic growth and human capital. Organized by Tech in Asia, this afternoon agenda provides company leaders with the evidence and peer perspectives needed to build a future-ready practice.
It begins with a dedicated session on cross-border growth, unpacking exclusive survey findings on international expansion, new service lines, and partnerships. Next is the data reveal, featuring a powerhouse panel that explores critical choices regarding M&A, staying independent, and ensuring seamless client and staff continuity during leadership transitions.
The summit closes by addressing the critical need to empower talent and move beyond theory to address job redesign, the transition to advisory services, and the real-world realities of AI adoption for SME firms.
Gain the insights and connections required to lead the next generation of corporate services. Secure your seat here.
PRESS PEEKS
The following press releases were published as they were received, without any editing from the Tech in Asia team. You, too, can publish your own press release on our site by simply filling out this form. Our team will get back to you by the next business day.
- Starling Studio - Cosmo5 Acquires Brew Group, strengthening its Southeast Asia Presence: Cosmo5, a leading independent global marketing performance group, has acquired Brew Group, a Singapore-headquartered marketing group.
- SotaTek - SotaTek expands cloud capabilities with AWS Cloud Operations Competency: SotaTek strengthens its AWS capabilities from architecture to operations with the AWS Cloud Operations Competency.
- Beldex - Beldex Launches $1M Global Grants Program: Beldex launches $1M Grants Program at Korea Blockchain Week, funding privacy apps, tools and infrastructure worldwide.
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