Rajan Bharti Mittal, managing director, Bharti Enterprises, will present the keynote address at the inaugural session of India Retail Forum (IRF) 2007, to take place on September 4-6 in Mumbai.
Mittal articulates his thoughts thus: “India is really on a roll. The economy is growing at about 9 per cent. Modern retailing is here to stay. We are clearly seeing the benefits where retailing has taken shape. The entire infrastructure, the entire ecosystem around it, the distribution centres, the cold chains, the logistics, and the environment that comes into play not only helps modern retail, but also helps the farmers, the manufacturers, the small manufacturers, the artisans, and of course, the consumer, who gets both width and depth of categories as well as choice in pricing. If India has to grow at 9 per cent to 10 per cent, I think modern retail has to play a role. Huge employment opportunities are there – in real estate, the ancillary industry around it, the security, the facility management, the training of employees, and so on. Modern retailing is the next big ticket for India, and will play a huge role in India’s growth story. I look forward to see you at India Retail Forum ’07.”
Having revolutionised the Indian telecom sector, retail will be the next big focus area for Bharti. With its in-depth understanding of the Indian consumer, experience of running all-India operations, and ability to attract and grow talent, Bharti promises to bring value to consumers by offering quality products at affordable prices. With investment of USD2 to 2.5 billion by 2015, Bharti Retail plans 10 million square feet of retail experience across India with employment for over 60,000 people including ex-servicemen and women. Bharti’s MoU with Wal-Mart for the cash & carry business will further strengthen its backend operations.
