Ekart, logistics arm of Flipkart,strengthens top management, appoints two senior executives

BENGALURU: Ekart, the logistics arm of India's largest online retailer Flipkart, has strengthened its top management with the appointment of former McDonalds executive Abhijit Upadhye as the head of business development and former Tata Teleservices executive Harish Abichandani as the CFO. The move comes at a time when Ekart is looking to position itself as an independent business, eyeing clients in both online retail and brands who need supply chain solutions.

Upadhye will report to Ekart head Saikiran Krishnamurthy, while Abichandani will report to Flipkart CFO Sanjay Baweja. Ekart has also made 4-5 director-level appointments for functions like design, finance & insurance and strategic programme management, according to a Flipkart spokesperson.Upadhye has joined as vice-president of business development.

He has been tasked with getting more third-party clients on board for Ekart, which has been running pilots with Aditya Birla group venture Madura Fashion & Lifestyle, besides online retailers Jabong, PayTm, YepMe and Shopclues. Upadhye has 20 years of experience in strategy, supply chain, sales and consulting, having worked at companies like Infosys, CPG Domain Consulting Group, Perfetti and Philips.