Reliance Retail has officially announced the merger of Milkbasket, the popular grocery delivery service, with its e-commerce platform, JioMart. The move comes as a strategic step towards enhancing Reliance’s presence in the online grocery market. However, recent reports have raised concerns about potential layoffs at Milkbasket, affecting a significant portion of its workforce.
According to media reports, around 25-30 per cent of Milkbasket’s employees, approximately 600 individuals, may face layoffs as part of the integration process. The situation has garnered attention and sparked conflicting statements from the company and insiders.
While the Milkbasket spokesperson firmly denies any layoffs, claiming that the integration might lead to realignment and reassignment of roles within the organisation, an anonymous ex-employee shares a different perspective. According to this source, the pan-India marketing team and growth team received calls from the HR department, urging them to resign on a specific date. Additionally, the category team has been placed on a performance-improvement plan (PIP).
The merger comes after Milkbasket was acquired by Reliance Retail, leading to its expansion from three cities to about 30 cities. However, the company later reduced its presence in newly entered cities and focused on existing markets.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding the layoffs, there are reports suggesting that some of Milkbasket’s remaining staff will be offered positions within JioMart’s SmartPoint and Smart Bazaar teams. This indicates that the merger may create opportunities for some employees while presenting challenges for others.
