In the face of fierce competition in India’s ecommerce landscape, Walmart-owned Flipkart has launched “Flipkart VIP”, its answer to Amazon’s Prime programme.

This tactical decision arrives just days ahead of this year’s festive season sale, a period when both ecommerce giants are set to lure customers with enticing discounts.

“VIP is Flipkart’s subscription-based loyalty program where customers enjoy extra privileges enhancing customer experience. Customers can buy a subscription at INR 499 and become a VIP member for a year,” Flipkart said on its website.

Its newly introduced Flipkart VIP is available at an introductory price of INR 499 per year. Flipkart promises free same-day/next-day deliveries for VIP members in selected areas. Amazon Prime is currently priced at INR 999 for a year.

Although Flipkart’s VIP program approximates Amazon Prime’s features, the Walmart-owned firm has some way to go before providing similar services to customers beyond the current regions. At present, Flipkart does not universally guarantee free same-day or next-day deliveries, a service that has given Amazon a competitive advantage through its Prime programme.

Additionally, Flipkart VIP is designed to simplify the returns procedure for its members, promising to collect returns within a 48-hour window. What sets Flipkart VIP apart is it will provide dedicated agents to assist VIP members with their inquiries, a service not currently offered by Amazon.

“Convenience benefits include free fast shipping and faster returns within 24 to 48 hours on select products on the FLIPKART platform (except grocery) in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and other select pincodes making your shopping experience smoother and more enjoyable,” it said on the website.

As part of its VIP programme, Flipkart has announced an interesting benefit for its members. Effective from October 8, 2023, members will have the exclusive privilege of cancelling or rescheduling their flight bookings on Cleartrip at no additional cost. It is to be noted that Flipkart acquired Cleartrip in 2021 to diversify its offerings.

However, Amazon Prime offers a comprehensive package that includes access to Prime Video, Prime Music, Gaming, and Reading; Flipkart VIP, in contrast, does not include entertainment offerings at this time.

The ecommerce giant recently announced that its highly anticipated sale event, “The Big Billion Days,” will kick off on October 8 and continue through October 15. It coincides with the Amazon sales event, which will begin on October 8 and go on till October 15.

The homegrown ecommerce giant also said that it would create 1 Lakh direct and indirect seasonal jobs to strengthen its supply chain to meet customer demand during its flagship season sale this year.