FDI Relaxation Policies To Usher In An Era Of Growth For Indian Retail

New FDI rules and single brand retailer policies set by the government will assure an influx of investment in the retail industry, ensuring robust growth over the next few years. IMAGES Retail brings you a lowdown of what’s making news in the national space over the last month…

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NEW FDI RULES IN INDIAN RETAIL SECTOR REASSURE INFLUX OF INVESTMENTS: GLOBALDATA

The Ministry of Commerce of India has recently announced a slew of relaxations on single-brand retail’s FDI investments.

The new FDI norms can be seen as an effort by the government to encourage investments and create employment opportunities over the next five years, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. According to GlobalData, the Indian retail sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4 percent between 2018 and 2022. During the same period, the physical as well as online channels are expected to grow at CAGRs of 9.7 percent and 29.4 percent, respectively.

Suresh Sunkara, Retail Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The latest policy has eased the norms that permit 30 percent local sourcing by brands on an average over a five year block, rather than in a single year. This can also be seen as a move by the ministry to exploit the ongoing trade tensions between China and the US and attract investments into India by creating a business-friendly environment.”

All the procurement done by a brand will be considered under the 30 percent clause, whether or not the goods procured are sold in India or exported. In addition, procurement done by group entities for the brand (including global operations) is considered within the 30 percent clause, favouring the retailers’ interests.

Foreign single-brand retailers can now launch their online operations within the country without a physical presence. However, they are required to open a brick and mortar store within two years of the launch of online operations. Within hours of the news, Apple announced to launch its online operations in India before its first physical store in the country in 2020.