The upcoming five years, India will be at its most interesting height to invest and to further develop retail opportunities. As discussed during the World Retail Congress earlier this year, BS Nagash managing director of Indian department store chain Shoppers’ Stop said: “Come to India in the next five years or don’t bother. Opportunity there is, but don’t miss the bus.”
Bijou Kurien, CEO of Reliance Lifestyle, outlined the challenges facing retailers entering the market. He observed that there is a tendency to treat a country with more than 1 billion people as a homogenous entity, when in fact it is composed of many vastly different parts. “There is no one view of India and it cannot be approached from one brand strategy,” he said.