Building A Solid Foundation

Shakti Chauhan, country head, IFMS, Reliance Retail, on structuring the company’s FM division

- Rashmi Naicker

There's no doubt that the last two decades have proven to be revolutionary for the retail industry. The fact that this segment is constantly undergoing metamorphosis, there's little wonder then that as sociopolitical and economic challenges veer, various factors impact the facility management practices and trends in this sector. For facility management professionals, this means bringing to their role a greater sense of creativity and discernment in how their company’s portfolio is organised and managed. Particularly, when the number of sites is in four digits and distributed across vast geography.

For high-street retail giant Reliance Retail, what's paramount is protecting its brand image – the perception of quality and great service is measured not just by hygiene standards but by the complete retail experience of their customers.

Shakti Chauhan, country head for the Integrated Facility Management Systems (IFMS) vertical of Reliance Retail, appears to have struck the balance between these seemingly contrasting factors. Following a seven-year stint with the Indian Air Force, Chauhan has been active in the facility management industry for over 18 years. His experience across sectors ranges from banking and IT to retail. He currently manages a prodigious portfolio of over 4,000 stores and malls across 170 Indian cities with a cumulative area of 29 million sq-ft. His portfolio includes brands such as Reliance Fresh, Reliance Smart, Reliance Mart, Reliance Trends, Reliance Jewels, Reliance Digital, Reliance Mini Dx, Reliance Foot Print, and other franchised global brands like Hamleys, Diesel, Kenneth Cole, Brook Brothers, Steve Madden, Thomas Pink and Super Dry, to name a few.