Flipkart vs Rakuten: Founders, CEOs and History
Flipkart was founded in 2007 by Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal and is led by Kalyan Krishnamurthy. Rakuten was founded in 1997 by Hiroshi Mikitani and is led by Hiroshi Mikitani.
Company facts
Founders
Flipkart
Sachin Bansal
Sachin Bansal co-founded Flipkart in 2007 alongside Binny Bansal (no relation). Operating initially out of an apartment in Bangalore, they launched the company by selling books online.
Binny Bansal
Binny Bansal co-founded Flipkart in 2007. Serving as the Chief Operating Officer, he designed the underlying supply chain and logistics infrastructure (eKart) that allowed Flipkart to reliably deliver goods across India's notoriously difficult terrain.
Rakuten
Hiroshi Mikitani
Hiroshi Mikitani founded Rakuten in 1997 after leaving the Industrial Bank of Japan, and has led it as chairman and CEO since.
CEOs and their tenures
Flipkart
- Sachin Bansal2007–2016
Co-founder & former CEO
An IIT Delhi computer science graduate and former Amazon software engineer, Bansal laid the foundational infrastructure for India's modern internet economy.
Source - Binny Bansal2016–2017
Co-founder & former Group CEO
Binny Bansal was instrumental in engineering Ekart's national logistics network before transitioning to Group CEO during Flipkart's historic transaction with Walmart.
Source - Kalyan Krishnamurthy2017–present
CEO
A former Tiger Global managing director with an MBA from UIUC, Krishnamurthy's execution prowess solidified Flipkart's position as India's leading digital retail ecosystem.
Source - Ravi Iyer2019–present
Chief Financial Officer, Flipkart
As Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance, he manages the incredibly complex capital requirements for Flipkart's ongoing, brutal price war against Amazon India.
Source
Rakuten
- Hiroshi Mikitani1997–present
Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Founded Rakuten in 1997 and still leads it as chairman and CEO. Built Ichiba, expanded into card, banking and brokerage, mandated English internally in 2010, and launched Rakuten Mobile.
Source - Masatada Kobayashi1997–2024
Co-Founder
Masatada Kobayashi co-founded Rakuten alongside Hiroshi Mikitani. He was instrumental in establishing the early technical and operational framework of the Rakuten Ichiba marketplace, laying the groundwork for its expansion into a global internet services ecosy…
Source
Timeline: Flipkart and Rakuten side by side
1997Rakuten
MDM, Inc. (Rakuten) Founded by Hiroshi Mikitani in Tokyo
Launched Rakuten Ichiba online shopping mall with 13 merchants and 5 employees.
2000Rakuten
Initial Public Offering on JASDAQ
Listed publicly in Tokyo, fueling rapid e-commerce and digital service expansion.
2004Rakuten
Launch of Professional Baseball Team (Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles)
Became the first new NPB baseball franchise in 50 years, establishing national brand trust.
2005Rakuten
Entry into FinTech with Rakuten Card & Bank Acquisitions
Acquired credit card and banking operations, creating the financial engine of the Rakuten Ecosystem.
2007Flipkart
Flipkart founded in Bengaluru by Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal as an online bookstore.
2009Flipkart
Accel India invests $1 million in seed capital, accelerating tech infrastructure and marketing.
2010Flipkart
Flipkart pioneers Cash on Delivery (COD), sparking large consumer trust and transaction growth.
2010Rakuten
Pioneered 'Englishnization' Corporate Language Mandate
Made English the official internal working language of Rakuten, attracting global engineering talent.
2010Rakuten
Buy.com Acquired
Rakuten bought the US online retailer Buy.com in 2010 for about $250 million.
2011Rakuten
Acquired Kobo Inc.
Rakuten acquired Kobo Inc. for $315 million.
2014Flipkart
Launches inaugural Big Billion Days festival and acquires premier fashion marketplace Myntra for $300M.
2014Rakuten
Viber and Ebates Acquired
Rakuten bought the messaging app Viber for about $900 million and the cashback site Ebates for about $1 billion in 2014.
2016Flipkart
Acquires UPI payments startup PhonePe, integrating mobile payments across its commerce ecosystem.
2017Flipkart
Kalyan Krishnamurthy becomes CEO; Flipkart raises $1.4 billion from Tencent, eBay and Microsoft, then $2.5 billion from SoftBank Vision Fund.
2018Flipkart
Walmart acquires a 77% controlling stake for $16 billion, its largest acquisition ever.
2020Rakuten
Commercial Launch of Rakuten Mobile Open RAN Network
Launched the world's first fully virtualized cloud-native 4G/5G mobile telecommunications network.
2021Flipkart
Acquires travel platform Cleartrip; raises $3.6 billion at a $37.6 billion valuation.
2022Flipkart
Completes the separation of PhonePe into an independent company, with both remaining under Walmart majority ownership.
2024Flipkart
Raises about $1 billion in a Walmart-led round including Google at a roughly $36 billion valuation; launches Flipkart Minutes quick commerce in August.
2024Rakuten
Rollout of Platinum Band (700 MHz) & Rakuten Symphony Expansion
Commercialized sub-1 GHz frequencies in Japan and expanded global Open RAN software exports.
2025Flipkart
Flipkart India reports FY2025 revenue of ~$9.6 billion (₹82,787 crore) (+17.3%) and a ~$602 million (₹5,189 crore) loss; marketplace arm Flipkart Internet cuts its loss 37%.
2025Rakuten
FY2025 Revenue Reaches ¥2.50 Trillion
All three segments grew, lifting revenue 9.5% to ~$16.7 billion (¥2,496.6 billion).
2026Flipkart
Completes reverse flip of its holding company from Singapore to India in March; a July employee buyback values Flipkart at about $38.2 billion as it prepares for an Indian IPO.
2026Rakuten
First Quarterly Net Profit Since 2020 and Fintech Reorganization
Q2 2026 net income of ~$182 million (¥27.2 billion) on record revenue of ~$4.46 billion (¥665.5 billion); Rakuten Card and Rakuten Securities Holdings move under a new Rakuten Bank group in October 2026.
Acquisitions
Flipkart
- Cleartrip2021$40M
- eBay India2017Undisclosed
- Jabong2016$70M
- Myntra2014$300M
Rakuten
- Ebates (Rakuten Rewards)2014$1B
- Viber Media2014$900M
- Kobo Inc.2011$315M
Questions about Flipkart vs Rakuten
Who is the CEO of Flipkart and Rakuten?
Flipkart is led by Kalyan Krishnamurthy and Rakuten is led by Hiroshi Mikitani. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Flipkart founded vs Rakuten?
Rakuten was founded in 1997 — 10 years before Flipkart, which was founded in 2007. Rakuten's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Flipkart.
How many employees does Flipkart have compared to Rakuten?
Flipkart employs approximately 45,000 people, while Rakuten employs approximately 33,000. Flipkart has the larger workforce at 45,000 employees, compared to Rakuten's 33,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Flipkart and Rakuten headquartered?
Flipkart is headquartered in India and Rakuten is headquartered in Japan. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Flipkart and Rakuten?
Flipkart was founded by Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal. Rakuten was founded by Hiroshi Mikitani.
Which company has a longer operating history — Flipkart or Rakuten?
Rakuten has been operating for approximately 29 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Flipkart has been in operation for around 19 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Flipkart vs Rakuten overview