INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesBinny Bansal, chief executive of India's biggest online retailer, Flipkart, has resigned following an
investigation into his conduct.Flipkart and its owner, Walmart, launched the investigation after a complaint of "serious personal
misconduct" was made against Mr Bansal.The inquiry did not find evidence to back up the allegation, but did "reveal other lapses in
the allegation against Mr Bansal.However, in a combined statement, they said he had shown "a lack of transparency" in his response to the
situation.In an email to staff, seen by the TheIndianSubcontinent Mr Bansal said: "The allegations left me stunned and I strongly deny them
"These have been challenging times for my family and me
I am concerned that this may become a distraction for the company and the team
In light of these circumstances, I feel it is best to step away as chairman and group CEO."Transition timeImage copyrightMintImage caption
Binny Bansal
Mr Bansal co-founded Flipkart in 2007 with Sachin Bansal who, despite sharing the same
surname, is not related.The firm, which sells everything from books to clothing and food, is now one of the biggest online retail players in
India.This year, Walmart announced it would take a majority stake in the company, drawn by India's fast-growing e-commerce market, which
is expected to grow from its current size of $35 billion to $100 billion by 2022.Goodbye to a backroom master mindAnalysis by Sameer
HashmiSachin Bansal and Binny Bansal are the poster boys of India's start-up dream
In a country dominated by traditional family businesses, they started Flipkart in a two-room apartment, building it into India's first
billion-dollar online retail company.This year, the firm also became the country's most valuable start-up after Walmart acquired a
controlling stake in Flipkart for $16bn
For years, Binny Bansal - who previously worked at Amazon - was always the backroom mastermind, running operations while Sachin served as
But after becoming the chief executive of the company - Binny transformed from a "quiet" co-founder to the company's main face
His resignation will be a blow for Walmart, which is locked in an intense battle with rival Amazon to garner more market share in India's
highly competitive consumer market
Sachin Bansal left the company shortly after the deal with Walmart.The companies said that Binny Bansal had been considering leaving as
well: "Binny has been contemplating a transition for some time and we have been working together on a succession plan, which has now been
accelerated."Walmart has praised Flipkart's leadership, saying it believed local expertise would give it a competitive edge.The firm's
statement said it remained "committed to investing for the long term and are supportive of the leadership team's desire to evolve into a
publicly traded company in the future."Kalyan Krishnamurthy, who now leads the firm's central e-commerce unit, will take over as chief
