Organized retail in India is a decade or so old phenomenon. During the last ten or twelve years, it has progressed well. At the same time, it is facing many problems, challenges, difficulties some are general and others are India specific. The objective of this book is to analyze these problems and discuss future prospects of this sector in India. In addition to problems and prospects, some other important related aspects of organized retailing in India such as politics and organized retail, use of latest technology in organized retail, the impact of organized retail on the Indian economy and unorganized sector, foreign direct investment in organized retail, job and career opportunities in organized retail in India are also included in this work. Broadly, there are six categories of chapters. In the first political and technical category come two chapters that deal with some important and hitherto untouched aspects of organized retail in India such as politics and technology. In the second category are seven chapters on the growth of modern and organized retail in India, its changing faces, its impact on the Indian economy. The third category consists of two chapters that deal with the impact of organized retail on unorganized retail in India. The fourth category also has two chapters on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the organized retail sector in India. Career and job opportunities are the theme of the next two chapters that come under the fifth category. In the sixth and last category are five chapters that explain problems and challenges faced by the organized retail and future prospects of this sector in India. Retailing or retail management is now found a place in the syllabi of MBA programs. Many universities and colleges have initiated new courses in retailing at different levels. Some have started separate and specialized MBA in Retail Management. Pass outs of these programs and courses are providing manpower and human resources to upcoming organized retail outlets like malls, hypermarkets, stores, etc. In other words, the organized retail sector is providing new job and career opportunities to young people. Retailing is emerging a useful and contemporary discipline in Commerce and Management faculties. But one finds a very limited number of books on the organized retail sector in India. The present compendium endeavors to fill this gap. It is hoped that this book will be very useful to the corporate sector involved in the emerging organized retail industry; executives, managers and employees of malls and stores; faculty of educational institutions involved in teaching and students of this new discipline.

According to Global Retail Development Index India is positioned as the leading destination for retail investment. This followed from the saturation in western retail markets and we find big western retailers like Wal-mart and Tesco entering into Indian market. India has the youngest population in the world, which is cornering the lion's share of new employment opportunities in the IT and service sectors, and fueling the demand for lifestyle product and services to dizzy heights. The domestic retail industry, the retail estate developers and the large corporate houses have taken note of it and so have the global retailers and brands. The Indian Government too is seized with the issue and efforts are on to devise a long-term strategy to boost the retailing sector. Organized Retail could well become a major driver of the economy in the years ahead. Rated the fifth most attractive emerging retail market, India is being seen as a potential goldmine. It has been ranked second in a Global Retail Development Index of 30 developing countries drawn up by AT Kearney. The list was developed as a response to requests from retail chains facing saturated demand in most western markets.

As India's middle class grows and disposable incomes rise, "modern" retail is becoming the next hot sector of the Indian economy. Hundreds of millions of new consumers will join this retail revolution, venturing into supermarkets, department stores and air-conditioned shopping malls for the first time. But instead of just window shopping, many of them will be serious buyers with money to spend. To cater for their needs, established players in the modern retail sector such as Biyani, Raheja and Goenka are being joined by the big names of Indian business - Reliance, Birla, Bharti, Tata etc - who plan to spend billions over the next few years rolling out supermarkets, big-box outlets and specialty stores. At the same time, property developers are getting on with the "malling" of India, and looking for high profile anchor tenants to lure customers. On the sidelines of this Indian retail revolution are big overseas players such as Wal-Mart, which already has a tie-up with Bharti to provide much-needed “back office” support. But what Wal-Mart really wants is the right to set up its own stores in India. The same goes for Tesco, Carrefour, Metro and other international players. While the macro outlook appears bright, the problems are astronomical for India retail industry. There is no reliable cold chain, transport logistics are appalling, there is a huge lack of managerial talent, there is no consistency for quality and quantity of supply, there is political opposition from groups such as market middlemen, the mom and pop "kirana" corner stores have to be catered for, as do the farmers who grow the produce that is integral to a successful retail revolution. How well will these disparate players cope with the various pressures of a dynamic and fast-moving industry?

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2008 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: A, , course: Conference, language: English, abstract: Indian Retail Scenario: Organized retailing has exponentially emerged to contribute to the growth of Indian retail sector. It constitutes 3% of the total retail market and expected to grow at a rate of 42% in 2008. According to estimates provided by Technopak, organized retail in India is expected to receive investments of $25 billion, taking the size of modern retail to $75 billion by 2011. These investments imply that share of organized retail will grow from the present 3 % to approximately 15-18 % by 2011-12. With the onset of a globalize economy in India, the Indian consumer's psyche has changed. They are well versed with the concept of value for money, quality and service standards offered worldwide, in turn they are becoming more demanding. These demands are the visible impacts of the Indian organized retail sector. The evident increase in consumerist activity is colossal; it is replicated in money making recess for the Indian organized retail sector. Indian Retail is in the midst of a retail revolution, seen in sprawling number of malls developed from 50 operational malls in 2005 to 250 mall by 20083. Multiple formats have sprung up across different cities. City landscapes are dotted with malls and customers have problems of plenty as far as deciding shopping destinations is concerned.

This book examines the performance of organized retail chains supplying the agri-input and output services in terms of achieving their objective of utilising collective bargaining power in the marketing of their agricultural produce, integrating empirical experience from India and other selected developing countries. The scenario of marketing for agricultural products has been undergoing rapid changes with the rise of organised retailing (the Indian term for ‘supermarkets’), a process that is likely to accelerate in years to come, with India being on the threshold of a supermarket revolution. In fact, India is referred to as the ‘final frontier’ in the development of supermarkets. The growth of supermarkets in India is faster than that in China, which is also witnessing an exponential growth as part of the “third wave” of supermarket diffusion. The book investigates the links between organised retailing and farmers and farming in India. Apart from raising issues of equity, inclusion and problems in policy framework, it also discusses policy interventions that are essential in order to make the development of organised retailing more inclusive and beneficial to the farming community and agricultural sector. The book further serves as a guide for policy makers, helping them to select the right kind of interventions to balance growth with equity as market forces penetrate deeper into the agricultural marketing space.

Retailing in India is one of the pillars of its economy and accounts for 14 to 15 percent of its GDP. The Indian retail market is estimated to be US$ 450 billion and one of the top five retail markets in the world by economic value. India is one of the fastest growing retail market in the world, with 1.2 billion people. India's retailing industry is 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 centres. India's retail and logistics industry employs about 40 million Indians (3.3% of Indian population). 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.