Snapdeal Is Back?

A name that once dominated early Indian e-commerce headlines is quietly trying to re-enter the game. Snapdeal, the poster child of missed exits and bruising battles with Flipkart and Amazon, may be scripting one of the most unexpected comebacks of the decade.

From glory to ghost

Founded in 2010, Snapdeal rose fast—and fell faster. By 2016, it was locked in a brutal funding arms race, with its failed merger into Flipkart and SoftBank’s pivot to other bets marking its sharp decline. While competitors scaled, Snapdeal faded from the urban digital radar.

Now, a Bharat-first thesis

But Snapdeal didn’t vanish—it regrouped. Over the past two years, it’s quietly rebuilt itself as a value-focused, Tier 2–3 marketplace. No longer chasing flashy brands or metros, it’s targeting affordability, vernacular access, and local merchants. The model now resembles a hybrid of Meesho’s user base and D-Mart’s positioning.

Low burn, high intent

Unlike its earlier avatar, this Snapdeal isn’t spending wildly. It’s leaner, focused on repeat transactions, and backed by a rebuilt supply chain optimized for smaller-ticket deliveries. The leadership is deliberately flying under the radar—but insiders say GMV is growing steadily.

Can it last?

In a landscape now dominated by ONDC, Flipkart, Amazon, and regional players, Snapdeal's challenge isn’t visibility—it’s trust. Can users re-embrace a brand once synonymous with missed delivery deadlines? The company is betting that in Bharat, price wins over memory.

The bata takeaway

Snapdeal’s second act isn’t about reclaiming glory—it’s about relevance. As India’s digital middle swells and the e-commerce narrative shifts away from premium metros, this dark horse might just find its lane. Stay tuned—it’s not 2016 anymore.