Walmart Announces New R&D Initiatives with Indian Startups to Strengthen Supply Chain Protection

Following the successful Walmart Growth Summit in India, KBCols Sciences, GreenPod, and Cropin have announced plans to pilot scalable sourcing technology for Walmart’s U.S. market in 2025

The largest omnichannel retailer in the world, Walmart, announced significant partnerships with startups in India to serve the company’s sourcing and supply chain activities in the United States. Three startups have been chosen for trial programs: Bengaluru-based Cropin, Chennai-based GreenPod Labs, and Pune-based KBCols Sciences. Last year, these businesses attended the Walmart Growth Summit.

Each company’s solutions will support large-scale innovation throughout Walmart’s supply chains. In order to lessen the impact on the environment, the pilot programs will test solutions that increase the availability of better and fresher products for Walmart customers in the United States and abroad, decrease product waste, and develop sustainable substitutes for intermediate products used in manufacturing processes like synthetic textile dyes.

Based in Pune, India, KBCols Sciences produces non-GMO natural textile dyes by fermenting microorganisms from agricultural waste all throughout the country. By using less water and energy during the dying process, these natural dyes can be applied to a variety of textiles, facilitating more efficient manufacturing. This invention opens the door for more regenerative techniques in mass-produced apparel by providing a more environmentally friendly substitute for synthetic dyes. Through testing on jersey cotton and woven fabrics, the pilot will assess the qualities of KBCol’s dyes.

GreenPod Labs, a Chennai-based startup, creates tiny sachets of plant extracts that trigger fruits’ and vegetables’ natural defensive systems, slowing down ripening and simulating the condition while still on the vine, therefore extending the freshness of natural produce. Produce can remain fresher for longer because to the supply chain’s extended travel times. Walmart may be able to source from new regions thanks to this innovation, which could also make transportation more affordable and enhance customer quality and freshness. Walmart will test GreenPod sachets in partnership with UC Davis to determine how well they work.

An AI-driven AgTech platform that offers useful insights on crop yields, improving productivity, optimizing resource use, and guaranteeing consistent harvest quality is provided by Bengaluru, India-based Cropin. To better understand crop health, production projections, and the timing of seasonal transitions, the pilot will test this technology on produce supply networks. Walmart may be able to obtain perishable goods more efficiently with improved data accuracy, which might increase customer availability and quality while cutting waste. This pilot program, which is being launched in partnership with Walmart Global Tech’s Sparkubate program, will enable start-up innovators to expand their concepts and address the most important retail concerns.

Part of a global series, the Walmart Growth Summit in India aims to link innovators, suppliers, and entrepreneurs with Walmart’s vast supply chain network. These summits, which take place in nations like Mexico, Chile, and India, give attendees a stage on which to showcase innovations and technology that complement Walmart’s emphasis on efficiency, sustainability, and creativity. Entrepreneurs can present their goods and look at ways to grow within Walmart’s worldwide supply chain through one-on-one pitch sessions and informative talks.

These most recent pilot projects expand on a portfolio of innovative projects that includes partnerships with Rubi Laboratories, Agritask, and unspun. Pilots for sourcing innovation are intended to improve resource efficiency, assist Walmart in making better sourcing decisions, and promote quantifiable advancements in the direction of a more robust global supply chain.

Following the successful Walmart Growth Summit in