Walmart-owned e-commerce company Flipkart has made a major announcement ahead of its upcoming IPO.
The company plans to buy back employee shares worth $50 million under its ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) buyback program. This move is expected to benefit more than 7,500 employees.
ESOP Buyback Details
According to an internal email from Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy, employees who worked at the company between July 6, 2022, and July 5, 2025, will be allowed to sell up to 5% of their vested ESOPs.
He also mentioned that if key targets are achieved by the end of this year, there could be another 5% ESOP liquidity opportunity in early 2026.
Flipkart currently has around 22,000 employees, and its latest estimated valuation is approximately $36 billion.
Walmart’s Investment and Flipkart IPO Plans
Back in 2018, Walmart acquired a 77% stake in Flipkart for $16 billion.
Now, Flipkart is preparing for its initial public offering (IPO), which is expected to launch in the first half of next year.
Meesho Also Gears Up for IPO
Meanwhile, Flipkart’s competitor Meesho is also preparing to go public.
The company has submitted draft documents to SEBI through the confidential filing route. This was approved in a shareholder meeting on June 25.
Meesho, backed by SoftBank, plans to raise at least ₹4,250 crore through the IPO. Since it has chosen the confidential route, details of the offer remain private in the early stages.
Experts say this method gives companies more flexibility and reduces the pressure of going public quickly.
