Myntra Enters Singapore To Target Indian Diaspora In Its Second Global Push

Myntra has gone live in Singapore, becoming the first international market under Myntra Global – the ecommerce marketplace’s programme to launch operations in countries outside India.

“The move is focused on showcasing fashion that is made in India and tailored to the needs of the Indian diaspora, particularly those living abroad. With a sizable Indian population of around 6,50,000 in Singapore, Myntra identified a growing interest in its platform. Nearly 30,000 users from the region were already visiting the site each month,” Nandita Sinha, CEO of Myntra, said in a press briefing.

About 10–15% of Myntra’s web traffic comes from international markets. As Singapore stood out as a concentrated and active segment, Mynta chose to start its international expansion with it. 

The Flipkart-owned platform is aiming to reach 12% to 15% of the 6.5 Lakh Indians residing in Singapore. While the number might seem small in comparison to the 70 Mn visitors that Myntra gets each month, the ecommerce giant believes that Singapore provides a highly concentrated and relevant audience. 

Responding to a question on expansion plans for other international markets, Sinha said Myntra is treating the launch as a learning opportunity to understand the kind of selection and experience that resonates with customers outside India and gather insights that will benefit both consumers and brand partners.

For Singapore customers, Myntra will ship the products from India. The brands will hold inventory and will handle the shipping, supported by Myntra through a third-party provider.

“We want to keep the shipping time between four and seven days as we start off. So, the logistics and inventory will continue to remain with the brands in India, and the products will be shipped from there,” she said.

In terms of pricing, products may be slightly more expensive in Singapore than in India, primarily due to cross-border duties and logistics costs.

Myntra’s Second Global Push 

Myntra Global currently offers over 100 Indian brands in Singapore, including Aurelia, Global Desi, AND, Libas, Rustorange,  Mochi, W, The Label Life, House of Pataudi, Chumbak, Anouk, Bombay DyeiN, among others. It currently features a selection of around 35,000 products, with plans to expand this to 1 Lakh in the near future. 

Myntra sees significant potential for cultural occasions such as festivals, weddings, and special celebrations, which see a rise in demand for Indian fashion, home decor, and accessories. 

While the platform will have slightly premium offerings to suit the preferences of the international audience in Singapore, there will still be a wide range of options to cater to different consumer needs, Sinha added.

“We’re starting with Indian wear because it fills a clear market gap abroad. But we’ll expand into other categories, including western wear, if brands offer something uniquely Indian and valuable to the diaspora. Category expansion will be based on demand and uniqueness,” she added.

Notably, this is not the first time that Myntra has ventured into the international market. In 2020, it tied up with the Middle East’s real estate giant Emaar Group’s ecommerce portal noon and fashion portal Namshi to launch Myntra Fashion brands in the region.

The difference in the Singapore launch is about scale and ownership, as Myntra would not just sell a few products through the third party. “This is a direct, cross-border model, giving diaspora consumers access to the entire Indian selection available on Myntra. It’s more efficient, expansive, and brand-friendly,” Sinha said.

Expansion Amid The Rise Of Quick Commerce & Profitability Turnaround

The international expansion comes at a time when ecommerce marketplaces are facing growing competition from quick commerce platforms like Blinkit and Zepto, which have aggressively expanded their product offerings beyond groceries. Fashion is no exception.

These platforms have partnered with many well-known fashion brands, both legacy and D2C. While their primary focus remains on essentials, during festival seasons they have started selling ethnic wear as well. The quick commerce platforms have even introduced return options for the fashion category, signalling their serious intent in this space. 

Meanwhile, new platforms like Slikk and Blip, which are focussed on fashion within the quick commerce category, have also come up. 

Amid all these, Myntra also launched a two-hour delivery service, M-Now, last year to prevent the newcomers from eating up its market share.

On the financial front, Myntra turned profitable in the fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24). It posted a consolidated net profit of INR 30.9 Cr compared to a loss of INR 782.4 Cr in FY23. Operating revenue zoomed about 15% to INR 5,121.8 Cr in FY24 from INR INR 4,465 Cr in the previous fiscal year.

The expansion push also comes at a time when Flipkart is gearing up for its IPO. As part of this, it is moving its base from Singapore to India. Besides, the ecommerce giant is also looking to rein in its cash burn ahead of its public issue.