New Delhi, January 18, 2007: The National Retail Federation (NRF), USA honoured Mr. Kishore Biyani, Managing Director, Pantaloon Retail India Ltd with the International Retailer of the Year Award on Tuesday, 16th January 2007 at its 96th Annual Convention & Expo held at the Jacob Javits Convention Centre, New York.
NRF is the World’s largest Retail Trade Association with a membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution. This prestigious award is given to a company that has achieved an international reputation for creative genius, inspirational leadership and distinguished service to the retail industry. The previous recipients of this award are Metro AG (Germany), Carrefour (France), Ito Tokada Group (Japan), Zara (Spain) and Boticario (Brazil).
Mr. Biyani while accepting the NRF’s International Retailer of the Year Award, said, “It is a moment of pride not just for our company, Pantaloon Retail India Ltd but for our whole country India” He further added, “It would have been more appropriate if we had got the award after global retailers have stepped into India. We are in a no-competition scenario currently but we excel in what we do to delight our Indian consumers”. While talking about Indian consumers, he said, “We can take a person out of India but not India out of a person. We have a deep understanding of Indian consumers and we offer everything they need every time, everywhere through every format of retailing”.
While complimenting Mr. Kishore Biyani’s achievements, Mr. Farooq Kathwari, Chairman, National Retail Federation (NRF), USA said “Pantaloon Retail India Ltd is the unanimous choice of the jury for the International Retailer of the Year Award this year. We applaud the impressive growth of the organization whose turnover is poised to become US $ 6 billion by 2010”.
The dignitaries present from India during the award presentation ceremony in New York were Mr. Sailesh Haribakthi, Managing Partner, Haribakthi & Co., Mr. Ashok Maheshwari, Managing Director of Magnet Supermarkets, India, Mr. Hemchandra Javeri, President & CEO, Madura Garments, Mr. Damodar Mall, President & CEO, Food Business and Mr. Gibson G Vedamani, CEO, Retailers Association of India.
Ms Tracy Mullin, President & CEO, National Retail Federation (NRF), USA, personally congratulated Mr. Kishore Biyani for his achievements and for receiving NRF’s coveted International Retailer of the Year Award.
The Special Events Hall at the Jacob Javits Convention Centre, New York was filled with an audience of more than four thousand retail professionals and service providers from across the world.
The other awardees were Mr. Reed Hastings, Founder Chairman & CEO of Netflix, who received NRF’s Innovator of the Year Award and Mr. Millard Drexler, Chairman and CEO, J. Crew Group, Inc. who received NRF’s Gold Medal for retailing excellence.
