Walmart-owned Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart has ended its work-from-home (WFH) policy, requiring all employees to work from the office five days a week, Moneycontrol reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Flipkart, which adopted WFH in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, began phasing out the policy by initially requiring senior staff, including vice presidents and above, to return to the office more frequently, according to the report.

"The new requirement now is for all employees, across functions and roles, to work from the office five days a week," Moneycontrol quoted an employee as saying.

The transition will occur in phases over the coming months, with exceptions for certain roles and a limited number of WFH days allowed, the report added.

A Flipkart spokesperson said the company’s field workforce has always operated on-site, and a gradual return to pre-COVID office levels over the past year has boosted collaboration.

"By returning to office, we aim to foster a strong sense of community for new hires and existing employees; and a shared focus on our common goal," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

The decision comes as India’s e-commerce sector grows increasingly competitive.

Flipkart is among the last major e-commerce firms to end WFH, following Amazon, which mandated a five-day office return for its Bengaluru employees, in line with its plans to launch a rapid delivery service, and Meesho, whose staff have worked in-office for over a year.

In the quick commerce space, where Flipkart Minutes competes with Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart, rivals Blinkit and Zepto have already enforced full-time office attendance, while Swiggy maintains a hybrid model with three office days for most employees.

Source: Upstox