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Flipkart's zero-commission push lifts active sellers 62% as Amazon and Meesho chase value shoppers this festive season
Flipkart's active seller base grew 62% year-on-year after zero commission, while Amazon waived referral fees on products below ₹1,000 and Meesho pushed value commerce. Datum Intelligence expects festive e-commerce sales of about ₹1.5 trillion.
The numbers
Figures from Mint,
| Value commerce share of online commerce, H1 2026: | 13% |
|---|---|
| Smartphone share of festive sales value: | around 28-29% |
| Amazon India seller base: | 2 million |
| Smartphone average price rise, H1 2026: | 16% |
| Meesho average order value, FY26: | ₹265 |
| Meesho forecast annual NMV growth, FY27-FY30: | about 23% |
Why it matters to operators and investors
With Flipkart at zero commission and Amazon waiving referral fees on products under ₹1,000, marketplace selling costs are falling, so expect more seller competition and price pressure; lock in sub-₹1,000 assortments and festive pricing before Amazon's Great Indian Festival starts on 8 October.
What to watch next
- Amazon announcing a wider fee waiver or new seller incentives before or during the Great Indian Festival from 8 October
- Flipkart introducing new paid seller services, ad formats or fulfilment charges after the zero-commission move
- Festive-season sales tallies from Datum Intelligence or others against the roughly ₹1.5 trillion forecast
- Seller-side reports of churn, delayed onboarding or rising effective costs on Flipkart
- Meesho announcing new seller programmes or value-category campaigns during the festive window
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Amazon is likely to defend its seller base by keeping or widening the referral-fee waiver beyond products under ₹1,000 as its Great Indian Festival opens on 8 October.
- Flipkart is likely to promote its 62% jump in active sellers as proof of catalogue depth and shift spending toward advertising tools and seller services to monetise the larger base.
- Meesho may step up value-commerce promotions and seller incentives to defend its low-price positioning against two larger rivals now courting the same sellers.
- Sellers are likely to list on several platforms at once and route their lowest-priced inventory to whichever marketplace charges the least.
- Value-conscious shoppers are likely to concentrate festive purchases on cheaper items, which favours the platforms with the broadest low-price selection.