Retailing in India

A textile retail store in India
A fish retail store in West Bengal, India
A food staple retail shop in Pushkar, India
Modern retailing in India
Punjab

Retailing in India is one of the pillars of its economy and accounts for 14 to 15 percent of its GDP.[1][2] The Indian retail market is estimated to be US$ 500 billion and one of the top five retail markets in the world by economic value. India is one of the fastest growing retail markets in the world, with 1.2 billion people.[3][4]

As of 2013, India's retailing industry was essentially owner manned small shops. In 2010, larger format convenience stores and supermarkets accounted for about 4 percent of the industry, and these were present only in large urban centers. India's retail and logistics industry employs about 40 million Indians (3.3% of Indian population).[5]

Until 2011, Indian central government denied foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, forbidding foreign groups from any ownership in supermarkets, convenience stores or any retail outlets. Even single-brand retail was limited to 51% ownership and a bureaucratic process.

In November 2011, India's central government announced retail reforms for both multi-brand stores and single-brand stores. These market reforms paved the way for retail innovation and competition with multi-brand retailers such as Walmart, Carrefour and Tesco, as well single brand majors such as IKEA, Nike, and Apple.[6] The announcement sparked intense activism, both in opposition and in support of the reforms. In December 2011, under pressure from the opposition, Indian government placed the retail reforms on hold till it reaches a consensus.[7]

In January 2012, India approved reforms for single-brand stores welcoming anyone in the world to innovate in Indian retail market with 100% ownership, but imposed the requirement that the single brand retailer source 30 percent of its goods from India. Indian government continues the hold on retail reforms for multi-brand stores.[8]

In June 2012, IKEA announced it had applied for permission to invest $1.9 billion in India and set up 25 retail stores.[9] An analyst from Fitch Group stated that the 30 percent requirement was likely to significantly delay if not prevent most single brand majors from Europe, USA and Japan from opening stores and creating associated jobs in India.[10](subscription required)

On 14 September 2012, the government of India announced the opening of FDI in multi-brand retail, subject to approvals by individual states.[11] This decision was welcomed by economists and the markets, but caused protests and an upheaval in India's central government's political coalition structure. On 20 September 2012, the Government of India formally notified the FDI reforms for single and multi brand retail, thereby making it effective under Indian law.[12][13][14]

On 7 December 2012, the Federal Government of India allowed 51% FDI in multi-brand retail in India. The government managed to get the approval of multi-brand retail in the parliament despite heavy uproar from the opposition (the NDA and leftist parties). Some states will allow foreign supermarkets like Walmart, Tesco and Carrefour to open while other states will not.[15]

Local terms

Organized retailing, in India, refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the publicly traded supermarkets, corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses.

Unorganized retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local corner shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand cart and pavement vendors, etc.[16]

Organized retailing was absent in most rural and small towns of India in 2010. Supermarkets and similar organized retail accounted for just 4% of the market.[6]

Most Indian shopping happens in open markets or numerous small grocery and retail shops. Shoppers typically wait outside the shop, ask for what they want, and can not pick or examine a product from the shelf.[17] Access to the shelf or product storage area is limited. Once the shopper requests the food staple or household product they are looking for, the shopkeeper goes to the container or shelf or to the back of the store, brings it out and offers it for sale to the shopper. Often the shopkeeper may substitute the product, claiming that it is similar or equivalent to the product the consumer is asking for. The product typically has no price label in these small retail shops; all packaged products must display the maximum retail price above which the product cannot be sold. It is a criminal offence to do so. . The shopkeeper can price the food staple and household products arbitrarily, and two consumers may pay different prices for the same product on the same day but never will those price be above the maximum retail price. Price is rarely negotiated between the shopper and shopkeeper. The shoppers usually do not have time to examine the product label, and do not have a choice to make an informed decision between competitive products.[18]

India's retail and logistics industry, organized and unorganized in combination, employs about 40 million Indians (3.3% of Indian population).[19] The typical Indian retail shops are very small. Over 14 million outlets operate in the country and only 4% of them being larger than 500 sq ft (46 m2) in size. India has about 11 shop outlets for every 1000 people. Vast majority of the unorganized retail shops in India employ family members, do not have the scale to procure or transport products at high volume wholesale level, have limited to no quality control or fake-versus-authentic product screening technology and have no training on safe and hygienic storage, packaging or logistics. The unorganized retail shops source their products from a chain of middlemen who mark up the product as it moves from farmer or producer to the consumer. The unorganized retail shops typically offer no after-sales support or service. Finally, most transactions at unorganized retail shops are done with cash, with all sales being final.

Until the 1990s, regulations prevented innovation and entrepreneurship in Indian retailing. Some retails faced complying with over thirty regulations such as "signboard licenses" and "anti-hoarding measures" before they could open doors. There are taxes for moving goods to states, from states, and even within states in some cases. Farmers and producers had to go through middlemen monopolies. The logistics and infrastructure was very poor, with losses exceeding 30 percent.

Through the 1990s, India introduced widespread free market reforms, including some related to retail. Between 2000 to 2010, consumers in select Indian cities have gradually begun to experience the quality, choice, convenience and benefits of organized retail industry.

Growth

An organized retail store in Ahmedabad (ca. 2009)
Customers inside a retail store in Kolkata (ca. 2011)

Growth over 1997-2010

India in 1997 allowed foreign direct investment (FDI) in cash and carry wholesale. Then, it required government approval. The approval requirement was relaxed, and automatic permission was granted in 2006. Between 2000 to 2010, Indian retail attracted about $1.8 billion in foreign direct investment, representing a very small 1.5% of total investment flow into India.[20][21]

Single brand retailing attracted 94 proposals between 2006 and 2010, of which 57 were approved and implemented.[22] For a country of 1.2 billion people, this is a very small number. Some claim one of the primary restraint inhibiting better participation was that India required single brand retailers to limit their ownership in Indian outlets to 51%. China in contrast allows 100% ownership by foreign companies in both single brand and multi-brand retail presence.

Indian retail has experienced limited growth, and its spoilage of food harvest is amongst the highest in the world, because of very limited integrated cold-chain and other infrastructure. India has only 5386 stand-alone cold storages, having a total capacity of 23.6 million metric tons. However, 80 percent of this storage is used only for potatoes. The remaining infrastructure capacity is less than 1% of the annual farm output of India, and grossly inadequate during peak harvest seasons. This leads to about 30% losses in certain perishable agricultural output in India, on average, every year.[20][23]

Indian laws already allow foreign direct investment in cold-chain infrastructure to the extent of 100 percent. There has been no interest in foreign direct investment in cold storage infrastructure build out. Experts claim that cold storage infrastructure will become economically viable only when there is strong and contractually binding demand from organized retail. The risk of cold storing perishable food, without an assured way to move and sell it, puts the economic viability of expensive cold storage in doubt. In the absence of organized retail competition and with a ban on foreign direct investment in multi-brand retailers, foreign direct investments are unlikely to begin in cold storage and farm logistics infrastructure.

Until 2010, intermediaries and middlemen in India have dominated the value chain. Due to a number of intermediaries involved in the traditional Indian retail chain, norms are flouted and pricing lacks transparency. Small Indian farmers realize only 1/3rd of the total price paid by the final Indian consumer, as against 2/3rd by farmers in nations with a higher share of organized retail.[20] The 60%+ margins for middlemen and traditional retail shops have limited growth and prevented innovation in Indian retail industry.

India has had years of debate and discussions on the risks and prudence of allowing innovation and competition within its retail industry.[24] Numerous economists repeatedly recommended to the Government of India that legal restrictions on organized retail must be removed, and the retail industry in India must be opened to competition. For example, in an invited address to the Indian parliament in December 2010, Jagdish Bhagwati, Professor of Economics and Law at the Columbia University analysed the relationship between growth and poverty reduction, then urged the Indian parliament to extend economic reforms by freeing up of the retail sector, further liberalization of trade in all sectors, and introducing labor market reforms. Such reforms Professor Bhagwati argued will accelerate economic growth and make a sustainable difference in the life of India's poorest.,[25][26]

A 2007 report noted that an increasing number of people in India are turning to the services sector for employment due to the relative low compensation offered by the traditional agriculture and manufacturing sectors. The organized retail market is growing at 35 percent annually while growth of unorganized retail sector is pegged at 6 percent.[27]

The Retail Business in India is currently at the point of inflection. As of 2008, rapid change with investments to the tune of US$25 billion were being planned by several Indian and multinational companies in the next 5 years. It is a huge industry in terms of size and according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), it is valued at about US$395.96 billion. Organised retail is expected to garner about 16-18 percent of the total retail market (US$65–75 billion) in the next 5 years.

India has topped the A.T. Kearney’s annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) for the third consecutive year, maintaining its position as the most attractive market for retail investment. The Indian economy has registered a growth of 8% for 2007. The predictions for 2008 is 7.9%.[28] The enormous growth of the retail industry has created a huge demand for real estate. Property developers are creating retail real estate at an aggressive pace and by 2010, 300 malls are estimated to be operational in the country.[29]

Growth after 2011

Before 2011, India had prevented innovation and organized competition in its consumer retail industry. Several studies claim that the lack of infrastructure and competitive retail industry is a key cause of India's persistently high inflation. Furthermore, because of unorganized retail, in a nation where malnutrition remains a serious problem, food waste is rife. Well over 30% of food staples and perishable goods produced in India spoils because poor infrastructure and small retail outlets prevent hygienic storage and movement of the goods from the farmer to the consumer.,[30][31][32]

One report estimates the 2011 Indian retail market as generating sales of about $470 billion a year, of which a minuscule $27 billion comes from organized retail such as supermarkets, chain stores with centralized operations and shops in malls. The opening of retail industry to free market competition, some claim will enable rapid growth in retail sector of Indian economy. Others believe the growth of Indian retail industry will take time, with organized retail possibly needing a decade to grow to a 25% share.[32] A 25% market share, given the expected growth of Indian retail industry through 2021, is estimated to be over $250 billion a year: a revenue equal to the 2009 revenue share from Japan for the world's 250 largest retailers.,[33][34]

The Economist forecasts that Indian retail will nearly double in economic value, expanding by about $400 billion by 2020.[35] The projected increase alone is equivalent to the current retail market size of France.

In 2011, food accounted for 70% of Indian retail, but was under-represented by organized retail. A.T. Kearney estimates India's organized retail had a 31% share in clothing and apparel, while the home supplies retail was growing between 20% to 30% per year.[36] These data correspond to retail prospects prior to November announcement of the retail reform.

It might be true that India has the largest number of shops per inhabitant. However there are detailed figures for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. In Belgium, the number of outlets is approximately 8 per 1,000 and in the Netherlands it is 6. So the Indian number must be far higher.

The Indian retail market

A spice market
Traditional retail format
Modern retail format
Checkout lanes, organized retail in Malad, Mumbai
Country Modern Retail
(in 2011, % of total)[37]
 India 7%
 China 20%
 Thailand 40%
 United States 85%

Indian market has high complexities in terms of a wide geographic spread and distinct consumer preferences varying by each region necessitating a need for localization even within the geographic zones. India has highest number of outlets per person (7 per thousand) Indian retail space per capita at 2 sq ft (0.19 m2)/ person is lowest in the world Indian retail density of 6 percent is highest in the world.[38] 1.8 million households in India have an annual income of over INR4.5 million (US$71,429.90).[39]

While India presents a large market opportunity given the number and increasing purchasing power of consumers, there are significant challenges as well given that over 90% of trade is conducted through independent local stores. Challenges include: Geographically dispersed population, small ticket sizes, complex distribution network, little use of IT systems, limitations of mass media and existence of counterfeit goods.[40]

A number of merger and acquisitions have begun in Indian retail market. PWC estimates the multi-brand retail market to grow to $220 billion by 2020.[41]

Indian retailers

A 2012 PWC report states that modern retailing has a 5% market share in India with about $27 billion in sales, and is growing at 15 to 20% per year.[41] There are many modern retail format and mall companies in India. Some examples are in the following table.

Indian Retail Group Market Reach in 2011 and Notes[41]
Pantaloon Retail 65 stores and 21 factory outlets in 35 cities, 2 million square feet space
Shoppers Stop 51 stores in 23 cities, 3.2 million square feet space
Spencers Retail 200 stores in 45 cities, 1 million square feet space
Reliance Retail 708 mart and supermarkets, 20 wholesale stores in 15 cities, 508 fashion and lifestyle
INR1206 crore (US$190 million) per month sales in 2013[42]
Bharti Retail 74 Easyday stores, plans to add 10 million square feet by 2017
Birla More 575 stores nationwide
Tata Trent 59 Westside mall stores, 13 hypermarkets
Lifestyle Retail 15 lifestyle stores, 8 home centers
Future Group 193 stores in 3 cities,[43] one of three largest supermarkets retailer in India by sales
INR916 crore (US$150 million) per month sales in 2013[42]

Challenges

A McKinsey study claims retail productivity in India is very low compared to international peer measures. For example, the labor productivity in Indian retail was just 6% of the labor productivity in United States in 2010. India's labor productivity in food retailing is about 5% compared to Brazil's 14%; while India's labor productivity in non-food retailing is about 8% compared to Poland's 25%.[44]

Total retail employment in India, both organized and unorganized, account for about 6% of Indian labor work force currently - most of which is unorganized. This about a third of levels in United States and Europe; and about half of levels in other emerging economies. A complete expansion of retail sector to levels and productivity similar to other emerging economies and developed economies such as the United States would create over 50 million jobs in India. Training and development of labor and management for higher retail productivity is expected to be a challenge.

[45]

In November 2011, the Indian government announced relaxation of some rules and the opening of retail market to competition.

India retail reforms

Until 2011, Indian central government denied foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand Indian retail, forbidding foreign groups from any ownership in supermarkets, convenience stores or any retail outlets, to sell multiple products from different brands directly to Indian consumers..

The government of Manmohan Singh, prime minister, announced on 24 November 2011 the following:[30][46]

The opening of retail industry to global competition is expected to spur a retail rush to India. It has the potential to transform not only the retailing landscape but also the nation's ailing infrastructure.,[30][47]

A Wall Street Journal article claims that fresh investments in Indian organized retail will generate 10 million new jobs between 2012–2014, and about five to six million of them in logistics alone; even though the retail market is being opened to just 53 cities out of about 8000 towns and cities in India.[47]

Indian retail reforms on hold

According to Bloomberg, on 3 December 2011, the Chief Minister of the Indian state of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, who is against the policy and whose Trinamool Congress brings 19 votes to the ruling Congress party-led coalition, claimed that India’s government may put the FDI retail reforms on hold until it reaches consensus within the ruling coalition. Reuters reports that this risked a possible dilution of the policy rather than a change of heart.,[48][49][50]

Several newspapers claimed on 6 December 2011 that India parliament is expected to shelve retail reforms while the ruling Congress party seeks consensus from the opposition and the Congress party's own coalition partners. Suspension of retail reforms on 7 December 2011 would be, the reports claimed, an embarrassing defeat for the Indian government, suggesting it is weak and ineffective in implementing its ideas.[51]

Anand Sharma, India's Commerce and Industry Minister, after a meeting of all political parties on 7 December 2011 said, "The decision to allow foreign direct investment in retail is suspended till consensus is reached with all stakeholders."[7]

On 19 Feb 2013 Tamil Nadu became the first state in the country to stoutly resist MNC 'invasion' into the domestic retail sector. In Chennai, Tamil Nadu CMDA authorities placed a seal on the massive warehouse spreading across 7 acres that had reportedly been built for one of the world’s leading multinational retail giants, Wal-mart.[52]

In February 2014, Vasundhara Raje led newly elected Rajasthan Government reversed the earlier Government's decision of allowing FDI in retail in the state. It reasoned that the sources of domestic retail are primarily local whereas international retail affects domestic manufacturing activity and hence reduces employment opportunities.[53]

Single-brand retail reforms approved

On 11 January 2012, India approved increased competition and innovation in single-brand retail.[54]

The reform seeks to attract investments in operations and marketing, improve the availability of goods for the consumer, encourage increased sourcing of goods from India, and enhance competitiveness of Indian enterprises through access to global designs, technologies and management practices. In this announcement, India requires single-brand retailer, with greater than 51% foreign ownership, to source at least 30% of the value of products from Indian small industries, village and cottage industries, artisans and craftsmen.

Mikael Ohlsson, chief executive of IKEA, announced IKEA is postponing its plan to open stores in India. He claimed that IKEA's decision reflects India’s requirements that single-brand retailers such as IKEA source 30 percent of their goods from local small and medium-sized companies. This was an obstacle to IKEA's investment in India, and that it will take IKEA some time to source goods and develop reliable supply chains inside India. Ikea announced that it plans to double what it sources from India already for its global product range, to over $1 billion a year, within three years. IKEA in the near term, plans to focus expansion instead in China and Russia, where such restrictions do not exist.[10]

On 19 Feb 2013 Tamil Nadu became the first state in the country to stoutly resist MNC 'invasion' into the domestic retail sector. In Chennai, Tamil Nadu CMDA authorities placed a seal on the massive warehouse spreading across 7 acres that had reportedly been built for one of the world’s leading multinational retail giants, Wal-mart.[52]

Social impact and controversy with retail reforms

The November 2011 retail reforms in India have sparked intense activism, both in opposition and in support of the reforms.

Controversy over allowing Foreign retailers

A horticultural produce retail market in Kolkata, India; produce loss in these retail formats is very high for perishables

Critics of deregulating retail in India are making one or more of the following claims:,[55][56]

Supporters claim none of these objections has merit. They claim:[56]

Opposition to retail reforms

Within a week of retail reform announcement, Indian government has faced a political backlash against its decision to allow competition and 51% ownership of multi-brand organized retail in India.

Despite the fact that Salman Khurshid, India’s law minister, claiming that many opposition parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, had privately encouraged the government to push through the retail reform, the intense criticism now targets Congress-led coalition government, and its decision to push through one of the biggest economic reforms in years for India. Opposition parties claim supermarket chains are ill-advised, unilateral and unwelcome.[69]

The opposition claims the entry of organized retailers would lead to their dominance that would decimate local retailers and force millions of people out of work.

Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal and the leader of the Trinamool Congress, announced her opposition to retail reform, claiming "Some people might support it, but I do not support it. You see America is America … and India is India. One has to see what one’s capacity is".[70]

Other states whose Chief Ministers have either personally announced opposition or announced reluctance to implement the retail reforms: Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Chief Ministers of many states have not made a personal statement in opposition or support of India needing retail reforms. Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan are examples of these states. Both sides have made conflicting claims about the position of chief ministers from these states.

A Wall Street Journal article reports that in Uttar Pradesh, Uma Bharti, a senior leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), threatened to "set fire to the first Wal-Mart store whenever it opens;" with her colleague Sushma Swaraj busy tweeting up a storm of misinformation about how Wal-Mart allegedly ruined the U.S. economy.[71][72]

On 1 December 2011, an India-wide "bandh" (close all business in protest) was called by political parties opposing the retail reform. While many organizations responded, the reach of the protest was mixed.[73] The Times of India, a national newspaper of India, claimed people appeared divided over the bandh call and internal rivalry among trade associations led to a mixed response, leaving many stores open day-long and others opening for business as usual in the second half of the day. Even Purti Group, a network of stores owned and operated by Nitin Gadkari were open for business, ignoring the call for bandh. Gadkari is the president of BJP, the key party currently organizing opposition to retail reform.[74]

The Hindu, another widely circulated newspaper in India, claimed the opposition's call for a nation wide shutdown on 1 December 2011, in protest of retail reform received a mixed response. Some states had strong support, while most did not. Even in states where opposition political parties are in power, many ignored the call for the shutdown. In Gujarat, Bihar, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Assam the call evoked a partial response. While a number of wholesale markets observed the shutdown, the newspaper claimed a majority of kirana stores and neighborhood small shops – for whom apparently the trade bandh had been called – remained open, ignoring the shutdown call. Conflicting claims were made by the organizers of the nation wide shutdown. Contrary to eyewitness reports, one Trader union's secretary general claimed traders across the country participated wholeheartedly in the strike.[75]

The political parties opposing the retail reforms physically disrupted and forced India's parliament to adjourn again on Friday 2 December 2011. The Indian government refused to cave in, in its attempt to convince through dialogue that retail reforms are necessary to protect the farmers and consumers. Indian parliament has been dysfunctional for the entire week of 28 November 2011 over the opposition to retail reforms.[76]

Support for retail reforms

In a pan-Indian survey conducted over the weekend of 3 December 2011, overwhelming majority of consumers and farmers in and around ten major cities across the country support the retail reforms. Over 90 per cent of consumers said FDI in retail will bring down prices and offer a wider choice of goods. Nearly 78 per cent of farmers said they will get better prices for their produce from multi-format stores. Over 75 per cent of the traders claimed their marketing resources will continue to be needed to push sales through multiple channels, but they may have to accept lower margins for greater volumes.[77]

A study in India on title 'Foreign Direct Investment In Indian Retail Sector: Drawing lessons from the international experience', concluded that the entry of FDI in multi brand retail in India can be growth enhancing only if proper safeguards are in place and the market environment is regulated. Firstly, the resources should be dedicated for a comprehensive study of retail and its related industries. Secondly, the number of big retail outlets in a particular city should be decided on the basis of population criterion and the employment level of local youth in the retail business. Thirdly, the format of these retail chains should also be regulated as is done in Malaysian case. They should not be in the form of neighborhood convenience store and there should be minimum and maximum limit of the size of these stores. Fourthly, it is important to ensure that no single retailer monopolizes the procurement operations in an area, district or state in order to protect the local suppliers. Lastly, the predatory pricing and the anti competitive practices of these international retailers should be prohibited in order to create a playing field for local retailers SOURCE.[78]

Farmer groups

Various farmer associations in India have announced their support for the retail reforms. For example:

Suryamurthy, in an article in The Telegraph, claims farmer groups across India do not support status quo and seek retail reforms, because with the current retail system the farmer is being exploited. For example, the article claims:[80]

Economists and entrepreneurs

Many business groups in India are welcoming the transformation of a long-protected sector that has left Indian shoppers bereft of the scale and variety of their counterparts in more developed markets.[69]

B. Muthuraman, the president of the Confederation of Indian Industry, claimed the retail reform would open enormous opportunities and lead to much-needed investment in cold chain, warehousing and contract farming.

Organized retailers will reduce waste by improving logistics, creating cold storage to prevent food spoilage, improve hygiene and product safety, reduce counterfeit trade and tax evasion on expensive item purchases, and create dependable supply chains for secure supply of food staples, fruits and vegetables. They will increase choice and reduce India’s rampant inflation by reducing waste, spoilage and cutting out middlemen. Fresh investment in organized retail, the supporters of retail reform claim will generate 10 million new jobs by 2014, about five to six million of them in logistics alone.[71]

Organized retail will offer the small Indian farmer more competing venues to sell his or her products, and increase income from less spoilage and waste. A Food and Agricultural Organization report claims that currently, in India, the small farmer faces significant losses post-harvest at the farm and because of poor roads, inadequate storage technologies, inefficient supply chains and farmer's inability to bring the produce into retail markets dominated by small shopkeepers. These experts claim India's post-harvest losses to exceed 25%, on average, every year for each farmer.,[83][84]

Unlike the current monopoly of middlemen buyer, retail reforms offer farmers access to more buyers from organized retail. More buyers will compete for farmers produce leading to better support for farmers and to better bids. With less spoilage of staples and agricultural produce, global retail companies can find and provide additional markets to Indian farmers. Walmart, since its arrival in India's wholesale retail market, already sources and exports about $1 billion worth of Indian goods for its global customers.

Not only do these losses reduce food security in India, the study claims that poor farmers and others lose income because of the waste and inefficient retail. Over US$50 billion of additional income can become available to Indian farmers by preventing post-harvest farm losses, improving transport, proper storage and retail. Organized retail is also expected to initiate infrastructure development creating millions of rural and urban jobs for India’s growing population. One study claims that if these post-harvest food staple losses could be eliminated with better infrastructure and retail network in India, enough food would be saved every year to feed 70 to 100 million people over the year.[85]

Supporters of retail reform, The Economist claims, say it will increase competition and quality while reducing prices helping to reduce India's rampant inflation that is close to the double digits. These supporters claim that unorganized small shopkeepers will continue to exist alongside large organized supermarkets, because for many Indians they will remain the most accessible and most convenient place to shop.[86]

Amartya Sen, the Indian-born Nobel Prize–winning economist, in a December 2011 interview claims foreign direct investment in multi brand retail can be good thing or bad thing, depending on the nature of the investment. Quite often, claims Professor Sen, FDI is a good thing for India.[87]

Allowed in some states, banned in others

The governments of some states, particularly Congress-ruled states have said they will allow foreign supermarkets to open in their state:

Other states, particularly BJP-ruled states have said they will not allow foreign supermarkets to open in their state, these are:

Supporters of retail reform who have voiced the need to promote organized retail include Chief Ministers of several states of India, several belonging to political parties that have no affiliation with Congress-led central government of India. The list includes the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. In a report submitted earlier in 2011, these Chief Ministers urged the Prime Minister to prioritize reforms to help promote organized retail, shorten the retail path from farm to consumer, allow organized retail to buy direct from farmers at remunerative produce prices, and reduce farm to retail costs.[90] Similarly, the Chief Minister of Delhi has come out in support of the retail reform,[91] as have the Chief Ministers of the two farming states of Haryana and Punjab in north India.,[92][93] The Chief Ministers of Haryana and Punjab claim that the announced retail reforms will never benefit farmers in their states.

The Chief Minister of the state of Maharashtra - the state with the biggest GDP in India and home to its financial capital Mumbai - has also welcomed the retail reform.,[94][95]

Tarun Gogoi, the Chief Minister of Assam, an eastern state in India, announcing his support to the retail reform, claimed "this will go a long way in bringing about a sea change in rural economy. The decision will boost agriculture and allied sectors, manufacturing, logistics, integrated cold chains, refrigerated transportation and food processing facilities in a big way." Criticising the BJP-organized opposition, Gogoi claimed that these parties who had just a few years ago dubbed opening up retail as good for India, are now singing a different tune.[96]

2013 state Elections

In December 2013 elections were held in the state of Delhi and a new party came to power.[97] The new Chief Minister of Delhi opposes foreign investment in retail and has written to the federal government to withdraw permission given by the previous Chief Minister to allow foreign retailers to open shops in the state.[88] The federal Industry Ministry has responded by saying it does not want foreign investors to think of India as an "unpredictable banana republic" therefore the rules are such that once a state government allows foreign retailers in that state, they cannot dis-allow the foreign shops if a new party comes to power in that state.[88]

Current supermarkets

Existing Indian retail firms such as Spencer's, Foodworld Supermarkets Ltd, Nilgiri's and ShopRite support retail reform and consider international competition as a blessing in disguise. They expect a flurry of joint ventures with global majors for expansion capital and opportunity to gain expertise in supply chain management. Spencer's Retail with 200 stores in India, and with retail of fresh vegetables and fruits accounting for 55 per cent of its business claims retail reform to be a win-win situation, as they already procure the farm products directly from the growers the involvement of middlemen or traders. Spencer’s claims that there is scope for it to expand its footprint in terms of store location as well as procuring farm products. Foodworld, which operates over 60 stores, plans to ramp up its presence to more than 200 locations. It has already tied up with Hong Kong-based Dairy Farm International. With the relaxation in international investments in Indian retail, India’s Foodworld expects its global relationship will only get stronger. Competition and investment in retail will provide more benefits to consumers through lower prices, wider availability and significant improvement in supply chain logistics.[98]

See also

References

  1. "The Bird of Gold - The Rise of India's Consumer Market". McKinsey & Company. May 2007.
  2. Anand Dikshit (12 August 2011). "The Uneasy Compromise - Indian Retail". The Wall Street Journal.
  3. "Winning the Indian consumer". McKinsey & Company. 2005.
  4. Majumder, Sanjoy (25 November 2011). "Changing the way Indians shop". BBC News.
  5. "FE@CAMPUS MASTERMIND: Response by Mahavir Accha to question for Jan 7-13". Indian Express.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Retailing in India Unshackling the chain stores". The Economist. 29 May 2008.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Agarwal, Vibhuti; Bahree, Megha (7 December 2011). "India puts retails reforms on hold". The Wall Street Journal.
  8. Sharma, Amol; Sahu, Prasanta (11 January 2012). "India Lifts Some Limits on Foreign Retailers". The Wall Street Journal.
  9. Amol Sharma (24 June 2012). "IKEA Knocks on India's Door". The Wall Street Journal.
  10. 10.0 10.1 "Ikea shelves Indian retail market move". The Financial Times. 22 January 2012.
  11. "Times of India Newsreport".
  12. "Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (FC-I Section), Press Note No.5 (2012 Series) - multi-brand retail" (PDF). Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. 20 September 2012.
  13. "Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Press Note No.4 (2012 Series) - Single brand retail" (PDF). Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. 20 September 2012.
  14. "FDI in multi-brand retail comes into effect; way clear for Walmart". The Economic Times. 20 September 2012.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 "SMEs welcome FDI in retail". CIOL. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  16. "ICRIER Begins Survey of Indian Retail Sector." 19 March 2007.
  17. "Indian Express, Indian Retail System".
  18. RETAILING IN INDIA: A REVIEW OF PRESENT SCENARIO, Chapter 4 (2011)
  19. "Global Economy: China, India confront WalMarts". Asia Times. 31 January 2004.
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 "FDI AND IMPACT ON INDIAN ECONOMY" (PDF). International Journal of Research in IT, Management and Engineering (IJRIME). 2012.
  21. GROWTH AND NECESSITIES OF FDI IN RETAILING IN INDIA
  22. Services Sector, Government of India Budget Document, Chapter 10 (2012)
  23. Investing in India, KPMG
  24. Mukherjee, Arpita et al. (2006). FDI in Retail Sector: INDIA, A Report by ICRIER. Academic Foundation. ISBN 978-81-7188-480-3.
  25. Mehta and Chatterjee (June 2011). "Growth and Poverty - the great debate" (PDF). CUTS International.
  26. Jagdish Bhagwati (14 December 2010). "Hiren Mukerjee Memorial Parliamentary Lecture: Parliament of India" (PDF). Columbia University, Parliament of India.
  27. "India again tops global retail index." 22 /6/ 2007.
  28. "Economic and financial indicators" 3 July 2008.
  29. "Indian Retail story from Myths to Mall." 11 August 2007.
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Bahree, Megha (25 November 2011). "India Unlocks Door for Global Retailers". The Wall Street Journal.
  31. "Wal-Mart Waits With Carrefour as India Wins Instant Gain: Retail". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 30 November 2011.
  32. 32.0 32.1 "Indian retail: The supermarket’s last frontier". The Economist. 3 December 2011.
  33. "INDIAN RETAIL INDUSTRY: A Report" (PDF). CARE Research. March 2011.
  34. "Global Powers of Retailing 2011" (PDF). Deloitte. 2011.
  35. 35.0 35.1 "India's retail reform: No massive rush". The Economist. 2 December 2011.
  36. "Retail Global Expansion: A Portfolio of Opportunities" (PDF). AT Kearney. 2011.
  37. Successful Innovations in Indian Retail Booz Allen & PwC (February 2013)
  38. "Fashion meets tech as handsets get sleek expensive"
  39. "LCD televisions, laptops are flying off the shelves."
  40. "Traditional Retail Trade in India." 28 June 2009.
  41. 41.0 41.1 41.2 The Indian Kaleidoscope - Emerging trends in retail PWC (2012)
  42. 42.0 42.1 Ambani overtakes Kishore Biyani, becomes India’s largest retailer Hindustan Times (March 21, 2014)
  43. Annual Report 2012-13 Future Group
  44. "Retail - India".
  45. Retail Scenario in India
  46. 46.0 46.1 "FDI POLICY IN MULTI BRAND RETAIL". Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. 28 November 2011.
  47. 47.0 47.1 Dhume, Sadanand (29 November 2011). "India Goes Wild Over Wal-Mart". The Wall Street Journal.
  48. "India government puts foreign supermarkets "on pause"". Reuters. 4 December 2011.
  49. "India to put foreign supermarket plan on hold". The Financial Times. 3 December 2011.
  50. "FDI in retail: Is it another nuclear deal moment?". The Economic Times. 4 December 2011.
  51. Bahree, Megha (6 December 2011). "India Parliament Expected to Suspend Key Retail Proposal". The Wall Street Journal.
  52. 52.0 52.1 "Walmart warehouse sealed in Chennai". Deccan Chronicle. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  53. "Rajasthan reverses the Decision to allow FDI in Multi-Brand Retail". IANS. Biharprabha News. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  54. "Government of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Press Note No.1 (2012 Series)" (PDF). 11 January 2012.
  55. "MIND THE GAP". The Telegraph (Calcutta, India). 1 December 2011.
  56. 56.0 56.1 56.2 56.3 Tripathi, Salil (29 December 2011). "India needs Supermarkets". The Guardian (London).
  57. "FDI in retail, India debate: Parliament of India, December 4, 2012".
  58. http://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/sites/democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/files/documents/WalMartReport-May2013.pdf
  59. "Walmart Fact Sheets". Walmart. November 2011.
  60. "Indian retail kings around the world". Rediff. 6 December 2011.
  61. 61.0 61.1 "Walmart Asia to make India an export hub". Business Standard. 14 April 2010.
  62. Grant, Tavia (25 January 2011). "The Wal-Mart effect: food inflation tame in Canada". The Globe and Mail (Toronto).
  63. "For India's Consumers, Pepsi Is the Real Thing". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 16 September 2010.
  64. "Aam bania is more powerful than the aam aadmi". The Times of India. 4 December 2011.
  65. "Whole Foods annual report, FY 2010" (PDF). Whole Foods. 2011.
  66. "Commerce Minister Anand Sharma speaks to NDTV on FDI". NDTV. 2 December 2011.
  67. "Discussion Paper on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Multi-Brand Trading" (PDF). Indian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association. 2 August 2011.
  68. Global Insights. "The Economic Impact of WalMart" (PDF).
  69. 69.0 69.1 "Backlash grows over reform of Indian retail". The Financial Express. 27 November 2011.
  70. "Revolt escalates against Indian retail reform". The Financial Express. 27 November 2011.
  71. 71.0 71.1 Dhume, Sadanand (29 November 2011). "India goes wild over Wal-Mart". The Wall Street Journal.
  72. "Wal-Mart’s newest scheme to ruin the middle class".
  73. "FDI: Bandh call gets mixed response". Indian Express. 2 December 2011.
  74. "Gadkari’s own chain remains open for biz". The Times of India. 2 December 2011.
  75. Mehdudia, Sujay (1 December 2011). "Wholesale markets remain closed, kirana stores ignore bandh call". The Hindu (Chennai, India).
  76. "India: A parliament in limbo". BBC News. 2 December 2011.
  77. "Farmers and consumers favour FDI in retail". ASSOCHAM. 4 December 2011.
  78. Verma, N., 'Foreign Direct Investment In Indian Retail Sector: Drawing lessons from the international experience', International Journal of Trends in Economics Management & Technology (IJTEMT); ISSN: 2321-5518; ICV: 6.14., Impact Factor: 1.41 pp 13-20
  79. 79.0 79.1 "Farmer Organisations back retail FDI". The Financial Express. 2 December 2011.
  80. 80.0 80.1 Suryamurthy, R. (2 December 2011). "Enter, farmer with an FDI in retail query". The Telegraph (Calcutta, India).
  81. "FDI in retail is first major step towards reforms in agriculture, feels Sharad Joshi". The Economic Times. 2 December 2011.
  82. "Major Benefits of FDI in Retail". The Reformist India. 30 November 2011.
  83. "Sustainable rice production for food security". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2003.
  84. Shah and Venkatesh (2009). "Opportunities for Food Industry in India". Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
  85. H. Basavaraja et al. "Economic Analysis of Post-harvest Losses in Food Grains in India: A Case Study of Karnataka" (PDF). Agricultural Economics Research Review 20: 117–126.
  86. "India: Wholesale Reform". The Economist. 25 November 2011.
  87. "Full Transcript: Your call with Professor Amartya Sen and Professor Jean Dreze". NDTV. 18 December 2011.
  88. 88.0 88.1 88.2 Puja Mehra. "Delhi government can’t de-notify FDI in retail, says Centre". The Hindu.
  89. 89.0 89.1 "FDI in retail can do for the Congress what land reforms did for the Left in West Bengal : Proto Indian". Blogs.hindustantimes.com. 30 September 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  90. "Modi-led panel of CMs had suggested organized retail in report to PM". The Times of India. 1 December 2011.
  91. "Sheila Dikshit Backs FDI in Retail". Outlook India. 30 November 2011.
  92. "Haryana CM Hooda hails FDI in retail". Newstrack India. 30 November 2011.
  93. "Government defends FDI in retail Industry, Shiromani Akali Dal hails reform". The Tribune. 30 November 2011.
  94. "5 States are game for FDI in retail, says Sharma". The Hindu Business Line. 26 November 2011.
  95. "After support from five states, govt's hopes high". Business Standard. 27 November 2011.
  96. "Gogoi supports Centre on FDI issue". Zee News. 1 December 2011.
  97. Delhi Legislative Assembly election, 2013
  98. "Retailers upbeat on Centre’s FDI move". India Today. 30 November 2011.

External links