Flipkart to buy back $50 million in employee stock; 7,500 staff may benefit

Flipkart has completed a $50 million employee stock buyback, offering liquidity to around 7,000-7,500 staff at a time when the Walmart-owned ecommerce giant is looking to go public. The etailer is currently valued at about $35 billion, with employees having the chance to sell up to 5% of their options vested in the last three years.

In a note to employees sent on Friday, Flipkart’s group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said that if the company achieves its key goals committed to its board by the end of the year, it will unlock another 5% Esop liquidity event early next year.

“Our core businesses are faring well, while quick commerce continues to scale at an unprecedented pace, delivering unparalleled convenience to our customers,” Krishnamurthy wrote.

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“I’m excited to announce a special opportunity to celebrate your contributions: The board has approved a discretionary ESOP liquidity opportunity (under the Flipkart Stock Option Plan 2012) wherein, all active employees as on July 5, 2025 will have the opportunity to liquidate up to 5% of their outstanding options vested in the last three preceding years, i.e. between July 6, 2022 to July 5, 2025,” he wrote, adding that the liquidation of the options will be at a price of $174.32 per option, and the payment will be made in August 2025.

The Bengaluru-based company’s last major Esop buyback happened in 2023 when its current and former employees received a one-time cash payout from a $700 million Esop buyback.