Toby Ingleton |
Microsoft has entered a new strategic partnership with Flipkart, an online marketplace headquartered in India, to help provide customers in India with the best online shopping service available.
Flipkart was launched in 2007, and has since provided online shopping services to more than 100 million people in India. Over the years, the company has added innovative new services to its portfolio of offerings, including cash on delivery, product exchange, straightforward returns, same-day delivery and instant refunds.
As part of the new partnership, Flipkart will adopt the Microsoft Azure platform as its exclusive public cloud platform. This will allow Flipkart to capitalise on an additional layer of advanced cloud technologies and analytics in its data centres.
Going forward, Flipkart is looking to use the artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and analytics capabilities in Azure. These include Cortana Intelligence Suite and Power BI.
These technologies will help Flipkart optimise its data to enable innovative merchandising, advertising, marketing and customer service. Ultimately, the company will be able to deliver experiences that are more relevant and personalised to the customers it serves.
The news was announced at an event in Bangalore, India, attended by Binny Bansal, CEO and co-founder of Flipkart Group, and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.
“Flipkart has always been committed to its vision of transforming commerce in India through technology,” said Bansal. “Given Microsoft’s strong reputation in cloud computing, coupled with scale and reliability, this partnership allows us to leverage our combined strength and knowledge of technology, e-commerce and markets to make online shopping more relevant and enriching for customers.”
“At Microsoft, we aim to empower every Indian and every Indian organisation with technology, and key to this is forging strategic partnerships with innovative companies like Flipkart,” said Nadella. “Combining Microsoft’s cloud platform and AI capabilities with Flipkart’s existing services and data assets will enable Flipkart to accelerate its digital transformation in e-commerce and deliver new customer experiences.”