Flipkart secures lending license from Indian central bank

Investing.com -- Walmart (NYSE: WMT)’s subsidiary, Flipkart, has secured a lending license from the Reserve Bank of India (NSE:BOI) (RBI), the country’s central banking authority, according to a Reuters report on Thursday. This license allows the e-commerce giant to offer loans directly to its customers and sellers on its platform.

This marks the first time that the RBI has granted a non-bank finance company (NBFC) license to a large e-commerce player in India. The license allows Flipkart to lend money, but not accept deposits.

Traditionally, e-commerce platforms have offered loans in partnerships with banks and NBFCs. However, this lending license will enable Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce firm, to lend directly. This is expected to be a more profitable model for the company.

The RBI issued its certificate of registration, a document that officially recognizes a company as an NBFC, to Flipkart Finance Private Limited on March 13, 2025. Both the certificate of registration and the approval letter, also dated March 13, were reportedly viewed by Reuters. This approval has not been reported previously.

Flipkart, where U.S. retail giant Walmart holds more than an 80% stake, applied for the license in 2022, according to the central bank’s approval letter.

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