Flipkart partners HipBar for alcohol delivery in Bengal, Odisha: Sources

Walmart-owned Flipkart has partnered with Diageo-backed HipBar to deliver alcohol in West Bengal and Odisha, according to sources.  The development comes after Flipkart’s rival Amazon had in June received approval to deliver liquor in West Bengal.  This is expected to further intensify the competition between the two players that account for a lion’s share of the burgeoning e-commerce market in India.

Flipkart will be a partner of HipBar that allows customers to order alcohol from the latter’s mobile app, according to two people in the know of the development. The persons, who did not wish to be identified, said Flipkart customers will be able to place orders that will be delivered by HipBar.  Flipkart did not comment on the matter. HipBar could not be immediately contacted for comments.

Jharkhand was the first state in the country to allow home delivery of liquor by online platforms.  Since then, a number of states have allowed the service that has gained prominence after the COVID-19-induced lockdown, as people turned to online channels to buy everything from groceries to medicines.