Fruitnet 2 Mar 10 

Rising food costs are putting pressure on the Indian government to open up the country's retail sector

India may be on the brink of opening up its tightly regulated retail sector as the pressure of rising food prices mounts.

Planet Retail 3 Mar 2010

Indian retail/wholesale joint venture Bharti Wal-Wart has stated that it is positive that the Indian government will allow Foreign Direct Investment in the retail sector, given the "progressive" nature of the current government.

Planet Retail 9 Feb 2010

Wal-Mart's Indian operation, Bharti Wal-Mart, is working with 116 private label suppliers in India, focusing on small local suppliers. In an interview with Images Retail, Bharti Wal-Mart Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Arti Singh, said: "In India, we are working with about 116 private brand suppliers, 70% of whom are SMEs. We are a strong supporter of SMEs as a sustainable business model and this is in keeping with our philosophy of 'Saving Money to Live Better'."

Planet Retail 20 Jan 2010

Tesco is to open its first cash & carry outlet in India this year, Communications Director, Greg Sage said. Tesco already has a presence in India through its franchise agreement with Trent, the retail arm of the Tata Group, which operates stores in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai. "We see a huge opportunity for future growth in India," he added.

Planet Retail 20 Jan 2010

Bharti Wal-Mart has reportedly opened its first Agricultural Co-operative Centre in Sirhind, Punjab. The centre aims to build an aggregating, handling, packaging and delivering system of fresh produce to Best Price and Bharti Retail's EasyDay stores. This initiative is part of Bharti Wal-Mart's Direct Farm Programme in partnership with 100 small and marginal farmers near Ludhiana, Punjab. The farmers will be paid for their produce within 24 hours post delivery. All legalities including APMC tax will be fully complied with.

Planet Retail 16 Nov 2009

Bharti Wal-Mart has initiated a development programme with farmers in India, the Hindustan Times reported. The programme will help farmers grow high quality fruit and vegetables with assistance from the company at each stage of development, offering advice on post-harvest technology, after which the farmers sell their produce to the company. "Our associates engage with the farmers at every stage of cultivation. We also help them with post-harvest practices and help them improve wastage and improve quality," a Wal-Mart spokesperson said. The company has launched the pilot programme with 65 farmers in Punjab.

Planet Retail 9 Nov 2009

Wal-Mart plans to open 40 more stores in India, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said. "Wal-Mart is very satisfied with its results in India. I was informed by the Wal-Mart CEO that they are looking at opening more stores.

Financial Times, 1 October 2009

Bihar, India: In Maheshkhunt, there are glimmers of a new age. In one corner of the town, India's National Spot Exchange has opened a warehouse draped with a banner that reads "The Farmers' Friend". It offers Bihar's small farmers, for centuries beholden to traditional traders who buy their goods at a discount and sell them on at sometimes steep profits, the chance to obtain a fair price on the national or global electronic markets.

Planet Retail 16 Sep 2009

Aditya Birla Retail (ABRL) is planning to expand its presence in the south of India. ABRL CEO Thomas Varghese said: "With about 400 of the 642 supermarkets in the South (of India), we expect to turn positive in the next few months in the zone.

Planet Retail 17 Sep 2009

India-based Bharti Retail has announced its plans of becoming a billion dollar company by 2015 and is aiming to open 40 more retail outlets in the next three months.