e-Commerce major Flipkart has approved the USD 50 million employee stock buyback plan (ESOP) ahead of a potential IPO next year. With this move Walmart owned company is aiming to benefit its more than 7000 employees. The company is offering eligible employees the chance to cash out up to 5% of their vested employee stock options, specifically those that vested between July 6, 2022, and July 5, 2025. The buyback price has been set at USD 174.32 per option, with payouts scheduled for August 2025, as per media reports.
Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy shared the details, stating that all active employees as of July 5, 2025, will qualify for this scheme. He highlighted that letest initiative is not just about financial returns, it’s about recognising dedication, innovation, and teamwork across the organisation.
For example, if an employee has a total of 80,000 vested stock options, but only 40,000 of those were vested during the specified three-year window (from July 6, 2022, to July 5, 2025), then only 5% of that 40,000, which is 2,000 options, will be eligible for the buyback. This opportunity is available solely to employees who are actively on the company’s payroll as of July 5, 2025.
He also signalled about the another 5% (ESOP) early in 2026 but that depends on company’s future performance.
Before this latest initiative, Flipkart carried out a landmark USD 700 million ESOP buyback in 2023, the largest of its kind in India at the time. That program included both current and former employees. While the latest is limited to active employees only,
Flipkart is currently valued at 35 billion and employs over 22,000 people in India alone. The announcement comes just ahead of the company’s flagship Big Billion Days sale, one of its major revenue generator.
At the same time, Flipkart is aggressively expanding Flipkart Minutes, its quick-commerce arm. The goal is to operate 800 dark stores by the end of 2025, signaling a major push into the fast-delivery space. Walmart has a controlling stake of 77% in the Indian e-commerce company Flipkart for $16 billion.
