Flipkart will reapply for food retail license

Wal-Mart’s Indian e-commerce unit Flipkart said on Monday that it will reapply for food retail licenses in India after reports that its earlier proposal was rejected by the government last week. The Times of India reported on Monday that the Ministry of Industry and Internal Trade Promotion (DPIIT) last week rejected an e-retailer ’s proposal to sell food through online and mobile platforms.

The company said in a statement: “We are evaluating the department’s response and intend to reapply because we hope to continue to have a significant impact on small businesses and communities in India.”

If successful, Flipkart will compete with Amazon ’s subsidiary in India, Alibaba-backed BigBasket, Softbank-backed Grofers, and Reliance Industries ’recently launched JioMart.