It seems state’s consumers will have to live in a Gujarat without Tesco, Walmart or Carrefour. This holds true not only for Ahmedabad, but for other cities as well.
It seems state’s consumers will have to live in a Gujarat without Tesco, Walmart or Carrefour. This holds true not only for Ahmedabad, but for other cities as well.
Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's tweet has placed a question mark on the entry of big retail giants in the state. In a clear departure from his aggressive bidding for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Gujarat, Modi has indicated in his Twitter message that he will toe the party line in the matter of opening the retail sector to foreign players.
On the sidelines of Energy efficiency and thermal audit seminar held at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, DNA asked him twice about his views on FDI in retail. Modi refused to elaborate but he said that he had already made his stand clear in his Twitter message.
Putting to rest media reports that Gujarat may allow retail giants to enter state, Modi on Monday morning said: "My stand is the same as that of my party, BJP, which is in the interest of the nation." Incidentally, the BJP has been opposing government's decision to open the retail sector.
Modi not only clarified his personal stand on the issue, he also ensured that government spokespersons release an official statement on the subject on Monday itself. Government spokespersons, health minister Jay Narayan Vyas and energy minister Saurabh Patel, said that the Gujarat government is of the view that the recently announced policy allowing FDI in retail will not only dislocate small and unorganised retailers but also result in unemployment.
This, they said, is against the national interest. However, Prof Arvind Sahay of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) believes that the issue has been blown out of proportion by political parties. "What the cabinet has passed is limited to around 53 cities with a population of more than 10 lakh. This basically means that out of 12 million kirana stores in the country, only one tenth will be influenced by the decision. Most kirana shops will remain unaffected as multi-brand retail outlets will not be allowed to open close to small stores," Sahay said.
He further said that Kirana and unorganised retail in the country have certain advantages because of their proximity to customers. "They give credit facility to customers. They know the needs of their customers and keep products accordingly. These advantages will not be go away from them even in big urban areas," Sahay said.
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