Alibaba all set to put $300 million in BigBasket

Dec 12, 2017Updated May 28, 20251 min read

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding plans to invest about US$200 million in India’s online supermarket Bigbasket.

This leads a $280 million funding round and would give it a stake of about 25 per cent in the startup, insiders say. The deal is awaiting approval from the Competition Commission of India.

Based in Bangalore, the grocer has previously had investment discussions with Amazon.com, which was given government approval this year to invest $500 million into food retailing. Founder Jeff Bezos has said he will invest $5 billion in India.

Meanwhile, Alibaba has invested in One97 Communications, which runs digital payment and e-commerce businesses.

Owned by Innovative Retail Concepts, Bigbasket has TV commercials featuring Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan. The company offers delivery in more than 25 cities and offers 18,000 products from 1000-plus brands.

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Mei Ling Tan

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Mei Ling Tan is the Editor of Retail News Asia, where she leads the editorial team in delivering in-depth coverage of Asia’s dynamic retail landscape. With over a decade of experience in business journalism, Mei Ling is known for her sharp analysis, deep industry insights, and commitment to uncovering the stories behind Asia’s most innovative retail brands. Before joining Retail News Asia, Mei Ling held senior reporting roles at regional business publications, covering everything from consumer trends to digital transformation in retail. A graduate of the National University of Singapore with a degree in Communications and New Media, she combines journalistic integrity with a strong understanding of evolving market forces. Outside the newsroom, Mei Ling is a frequent speaker at industry panels and a mentor for young journalists.

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