Flipkart wants to be your next social network

Flipkart thinks shopping by yourself on the internet is boring, never mind that you're probably doing it from an app on your 5-inch smartphone. To solve this, it's building a social network it calls Ping right into its official app on iOS and Android.

Flipkart thinks shopping by yourself on the internet is boring, never mind that you're probably doing it from an app on your 5-inch smartphone.

To solve this, it's building a social network it calls Ping right into its official app on iOS and Android.

Ping will let you chat with friends right within the Flipkart app. You will also be able to share product images, wishlists, and entire shopping carts.

"Shopping is primarily a social activity and going for it with friends and family has been the norm since time immemorial. Online shopping, on the other hand, has largely remained a solo experience. 'Ping' aims to transform online shopping by allowing users to talk to each other real time in order to make decisions and decide on what to buy!" said Flipkart's Chief Product Officer, Punit Soni.

Ping will also let users create WhatsApp-like groups right within the Flipkart app and

Flipkart's idea isn't exactly original. Last month, e-commerce brand Snapdeal launched an app called Shopo, which allows buyers and sellers to interact with each other right within the app.

Flipkart says that about 41% of Indian e-commerce happens on mobile. 70% of Flipkart's 50 million users shop on Flipkart's app.