Flipkart Enters Healthcare Space With Its Health+ App

Walmart-backed ecommerce giant Flipkart has launched Flipkart Health+ app to enable users to access medicines, healthcare products and services across India. 

According to Flipkart, the app will serve customers across 20,000 pin codes in India to enable easy and convenient access to quality and affordable medicines and healthcare products from independent sellers. 

The Flipkart Health+ platform would have more than 500 independent sellers who would further have a network of registered pharmacists for validation of medical prescriptions and accurate dispensation of medicines.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Indians have witnessed a shift in favoring wellness and preventative healthcare and there is an increased focus on health and wellness. Through Flipkart Health+, we aim to solve the gap of accessibility to genuine medicines and healthcare products and services across the country, especially in the remotest parts of India that have been underserved until now,” said Prashant Jhaveri, CEO, Flipkart Health+.

Flipkart said its app has been designed and developed with a user-friendly interface to appeal to customers, irrespective of their technological adeptness. 

With a robust technology and logistics infrastructure, Flipkart Health+ shall enable access to healthcare products and services for health conditions including acute and chronic illnesses, to customers across India, especially in remote locations that have traditionally remained underserved, it said. 

Even though it is an intermediary marketplace platform, Flipkart Health+ has put in place various quality checks and verification protocols, which will facilitate delivery of genuine medicines and healthcare products to customers’ doorstep, it claims. 

The app also plans to onboard third-party healthcare service providers to offer other value-added healthcare services like teleconsultation and e-diagnostics to customers.

Initially available on the Android Play Store, the app will also be made available on iOS in future. It can be accessed on low bandwidth as well, making it accessible to customers across the country.

The new health arm would benefit from the expertise  and experience  of the  Flipkart’s reach and last-mile supply chain capabilities, coupled with Sastasundar.com’s apt healthcare network across India. 

Flipkart acquired a majority stake in SastaSundar.com, a healthcare platform in 2021 to synergise  its expertise to enable customers with quality medicines and healthcare products and services in the health-tech ecosystem. 

Just a few days back, Flipkart has pumped in $553.2 Mn (INR4,205 Cr) into its marketplace business, as per its regulatory filings in Singapore.

The cash infusion of more than half a billion US dollars has come in the wake of its grocery and social ecommerce expansion plans announced early this year.  

The ecommerce giant on January 24, 2022 announced the expansion of its grocery services to 1,800 cities across India. 

Meanwhile, digital healthcare lowers the number of admission and readmission of patients in hospitals, ensures compliance with the treatment regimen, and facilitates the early detection of ailments, leading to reduced costs for fund providers.

In terms of revenue, the digital healthcare market in India was valued at INR 252.92 Bn in FY 2021, according to a report by Research and Markets.  

The market is expected to reach INR 882.79 Bn by FY 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 21.36% during FY 2022 and FY 2027.