Flipkart Appoints Former Myntra Exec to Lead Fashion Division Ahead of IPO

Flipkart signs the new leader of its fashion business at Myntra. The Indian e-commerce group, owned by U.S. giant Wallmart, has placed Sharon Pais, until now head of a business unit at Myntra, at the helm of its fashion vertical. Pais replaces Kunal Gupta, who has left Flipkart to move to lead Minutes, also owned by Wallmart.

Pais’s entry comes amid a process of changes in Flipkart’s management team, which is focused on improving profitability in preparation for its eventual IPO in 2026.

The executive joined Myntra in October 2021 after eight years at Flipkart, where she assumed various leadership roles. She joined the e-commerce group in 2014 as head of book sales and later took over as head of marketing for this division, general merchandise and home. Prior to joining Myntra, he led Flipkart’s loyalty and travel areas.

Walmart took 77% of Flipkart in 2018 in a $16 billion transaction

Flipkart is the second largest ecommerce in India, behind only Amazon. In 2014, the group acquired Myntra for $300 million and, a year later, bought Jabong for $70 million. In 2017, the group acquired eBay India for $1.4 billion and, last year, the company launched social commerce app Shopsy, which specializes in reselling products.

Flipkart’s beginnings date back to 2007, when Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, two former Amazon employees, founded the company. The company is headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, and distributes fashion, cosmetics, technology and home décor products, among others.

In 2018, Walmart took control of 77% of the company through a transaction valued at $16 billion, being Walmart’s largest transaction in ecommerce after taking over Jet.com for $3.3 billion two years earlier. In 2020, Walmart invested a further US$1.2 billion in the Asian group, valuing the company at approximately $24 billion.