Who is Nishant Verman, the dealmaker leading Flipkart's IPO?
What's the story
Flipkart, the Walmart-owned e-commerce giant, has rehired Nishant Verman as its Senior Vice President (SVP). The move comes as part of the company's preparations for its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO). Verman was previously a member of Flipkart's corporate development team and played a key role in the company's $16 billion sale to Walmart in 2018.
Past achievements
Verman's previous impact on Flipkart's growth
During his earlier stint at Flipkart, Verman was instrumental in the company's $4 billion fundraising from SoftBank, Tencent, eBay, and Microsoft. He also led the acquisitions of PhonePe, Jabong, and eBay India. Verman is one of the few SVP-level appointments at Flipkart in the last year as part of a broader restructuring under CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy.
Future plans
Verman assumes new role after shutting down his start-up
In his new role, Verman is expected to work on initiatives related to Flipkart's IPO, including corporate development, investor engagement, and capital markets strategy. His return comes after he shut down his start-up Bzaar, a cross-border commerce platform for home and kitchen products. Before starting his venture in 2020, Verman had spent several years at Flipkart where he was closely involved in mergers/acquisitions/fundraising activities.
Strategic shifts
Flipkart's steps toward public listing and recent developments
Verman's return comes at a crucial time for Flipkart, which is taking multiple steps to prepare for a public listing in India. The company recently received approval from the National Company Law Tribunal to move its domicile from Singapore to India. This brings it closer to listing on domestic exchanges. Along with SVPs, Flipkart has also been hiring senior executives in tech, business and compliance functions.