Indian Retail Sector

2.1Overview
Retailing in India is one of the pillars of its economy and accounts for 14 to
15% of its GDP.[1][2] The Indian retail market is estimated to be US$ 450 billion and one of the top five retail markets in the world by economic value. India is one of the fastest growing retail markets in the world, with 1.2 billion people.[3][4] India's retailing industry is essentially owner manned small shops. In 2010, larger format convenience stores and supermarkets accounted for about 4% of the industry, and these were present only in large urban centers. India's retail and logistics industry employs about 40 million Indians (3.3% of Indian population). Until 2011, Indian central government denied foreign direct investment (FDI) in multibrand retail, forbidding foreign groups from any ownership in supermarkets, convenience stores or any retail outlets. Even single-brand retail was limited to 51% ownership and a bureaucratic process. In November 2011, India's central government announced retail reforms for both multi-brand stores and single-brand stores. These market reforms paved the way for retail innovation and competition with multi-brand retailers such as Walmart, Carrefour and Tesco, as well single brand majors such as IKEA, Nike, and Apple.[5] The announcement sparked intense activism, both in opposition and in support of the reforms. In December 2011, under pressure from the opposition, Indian government placed the retail reforms on hold till it reaches a consensus.[6] In January 2012, India approved reforms for single-brand stores welcoming anyone in the world to innovate in Indian retail market with 100% ownership, but imposed the requirement that the single brand retailer source 30% of its goods from India. Indian government continues the hold on retail reforms for multi-brand stores.[7] IKEA announced in January that it is putting on hold its plan to open stores in India because of the 30% requirement.[8] Fitch believes that the 30% requirement is likely to significantly delay if not prevent most single brand majors from Europe, USA and Japan from opening stores and creating associated jobs in India.

Entry Options For Foreign Players prior to FDI Policy

Although prior to Jan 24, 2006, FDI was not authorised in retailing, most general players had been operating in the country. Some of entrance routes used by them have been discussed in sum as below:-

1.Franchise Agreements
It is an easiest track to come in the Indian market. In franchising and commission agents services, FDI (unless otherwise prohibited) is allowed with the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. This is a most usual mode for entrance of quick food bondage opposite a world. Apart from quick food bondage identical to Pizza Hut, players such as Lacoste, Mango, Nike as good as Marks as good as Spencer, have entered Indian marketplace by this route.

2. Cash And Carry Wholesale Trading

100% FDI is allowed in wholesale trading which involves building of a large distribution infrastructure to assist local manufacturers.The wholesaler deals only with smaller retailers and not Consumers. Metro AG of Germany was the first significant global player to enter India through this route.

3. Strategic Licensing Agreements

Some foreign brands give exclusive licences and distribution rights to Indian companies. Through these rights, Indian companies can either sell it through their own stores, or enter into shop-in-shop arrangements or distribute the brands to franchisees. Mango, the Spanish apparel brand has entered India through this route with an agreement with Piramyd, Mumbai, SPAR entered into a similar agreement with Radhakrishna Foodlands Pvt. Ltd

4.Manufacturing and Wholly Owned Subsidiaries.

The foreign brands such as Nike, Reebok, Adidas, etc. that have wholly-owned subsidiaries in manufacturing are treated as Indian companies and are, therefore, allowed to do retail. These companies have been authorised to sell products to Indian consumers by franchising, internal distributors, existent Indian retailers, own outlets, etc. For instance, Nike entered through an exclusive licensing agreement with Sierra Enterprises but now has a wholly owned subsidiary, Nike India Private Limited.

FDI Policy in India

FDI as defined in Dictionary of Economics (Graham Bannock et.al) is investment in a foreign country through the acquisition of a local company or the establishment there of an operation on a new (Greenfield) site. To put in simple words, FDI refers to capital inflows from abroad that is invested in or to enhance the production capacity of the economy.[9] Foreign Investment in India is governed by the FDI policy announced by the Government of India and the provision of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) 1999. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in this regard had issued a notification, [10] which contains the ForeignExchange Management (Transfer or issue of security by a person resident outside India) Regulations, 2000. This notification has been amended from time to time. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India is the nodal agency for motoring and reviewing the FDI policy on continued basis and changes in sectoral policy/ sectoral equity cap. The FDI policy is notified through Press Notes by the Secretariat for Industrial Assistance (SIA), Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The foreign investors are free to invest in India, except few sectors/activities, where prior approval from the RBI or Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) would be required.

2.4 FDI Policy with Regard to Retailing in India

It will be prudent to look into Press Note 4 of 2006 issued by DIPP and consolidated FDI Policy issued in October 2010[11] which provide the sector specific guidelines for FDI with regard to the conduct of trading activities. a) FDI up to 100% for cash and carry wholesale trading and export trading allowed under the automatic route. b) FDI up to 51 % with prior Government approval (i.e. FIPB) for retail trade of Single Brand products, subject to Press Note 3 (2006 Series)[12].

c) FDI is not permitted in Multi Brand Retailing in India.

2.5 Prospected Changes in FDI Policy for Retail Sector in India

The government (led by Dr.Manmohan Singh, announced following prospective reforms in Indian Retail Sector 1. India will allow FDI of up to 51% in multi-brand sector. 2. Single brand retailers such as Apple and Ikea, can own 100% of their Indian stores, up from previous cap of 51%. 3. The retailers (both single and multi-brand) will have to source at least 30% of their goods from small and medium sized Indian suppliers. 4. All retail stores can open up their operations in population having over 1million.Out of approximately 7935 towns and cities in India, 55 suffice such criteria. 5. Multi-brand retailers must bring minimum investment of US$ 100 million. Half of this must be invested in back-end infrastructure facilities such as cold chains, refrigeration, transportation, packaging etc. to reduce post-harvest losses and provide remunerative prices to farmers. 6. The opening of retail competition (policy) will be within parameters of state laws and regulations.

2.6 Single and Multi-Brand Retailing

2.6.1 FDI in Single-Brand Retail
The Government has not categorically defined the meaning of Single Brand anywhere neither in any of its circulars nor any notifications. In single-brand retail, FDI up to 51 per cent is allowed, subject to Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval and subject to the conditions mentioned in Press Note 3[13] that (a) only single brand products would be sold (i.e., retail of goods of multi-brand even if produced by the same manufacturer would not be allowed), (b) products should be sold under the same brand internationally, (c) single-brand product retail would only cover products which are branded during manufacturing and (d) any addition to product categories to be sold under single-brand would require fresh approval from the government. While the phrase single brand has not been defined, it implies that foreign companies would be allowed to sell goods sold internationally under a single brand, viz., Reebok, Nokia, and Adidas. Retailing of goods of multiple brands, even if such products were produced by the same manufacturer, would not be allowed. Going a step further, we examine the concept of single brand and the associated conditions: FDI in Single brand retail implies that a retail store with foreign investment can only sell one brand. For example, if Adidas were to obtain permission to retail its flagship brand in India, those retail outlets could only sell products under the Adidas brand and not the Reebok brand, for which separate permission is required. If granted permission, Adidas could sell products under the Reebok brand in separate outlets.

2.6.2 FDI in Multi-Brand Retail

The government has also not defined the term Multi Brand. FDI in Multi Brand retail implies that a retail store with a foreign investment can sell multiple brands under one roof.

In July 2010, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce circulated a discussion paper [14] on allowing FDI in multi-brand retail. The paper doesnt suggest any upper limit on FDI in multi-brand retail. If implemented, it would open the doors for global retail giants to enter and establish their footprints on the retail landscape of India. Opening up FDI in multi-brand retail will mean that global retailers including Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Tesco can open stores offering a range of household items and grocery directly to consumers in the same way as the ubiquitous kirana store.

Structure of Indian Retail Sector

Definition of Retail
In 2004, The High Court of Delhi [15] defined the term retail as a sale for final consumption in contrast to a sale for further sale or processing (i.e. wholesale). A sale to the ultimate consumer. Thus, retailing can be said to be the interface between the producer and the individual consumer buying for personal consumption. This excludes direct interface between the manufacturer and institutional buyers such as the government and other bulk customers. Retailing is the last link that connects the individual consumer with the manufacturing and distribution chain. A retailer is involved in the act of selling goods to the individual consumer at a margin of profit.

Division of Retail Industry Organised and Unorganised Retailing

The retail industry is mainly divided into: - 1) Organised and 2) Unorganised Retailing Organised retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses. Unorganised retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local kirana shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand cart and pavement vendors, etc. The Indian retail sector is highly fragmented with 97 per cent of its business being run by the unorganized retailers. The organized retail however is at a very nascent stage. The sector is the largest source of employment after agriculture, and has deep penetration into rural India generating more than 10 per cent of Indias GDP. [16]
ADVANTAGES OF CONVENTIONAL AND MODERN ORGANISED RETAIL REFORMS

Conventional Modern Organized Large Bargaining Power Low operating cost and overheads Proximity to consumers Range and variety of goods Long operating hours, strong customer relations, convenience and hygiene. Long operating hours, quality assurance (brand related and durability).

Growth and Evolution of Indian Retail Sector

The Indian Retail Industry is the 5th largest retail destination and the second most attractive market for investment in the globe after Vietnam as reported by AT Kearneys seventh annual Globe Retail Development Index (GRDI), in 2008.The growing popularity of Indian Retail sector has resulted in growing awareness of quality products and brands. As a whole Indian retail has made life convenient, easy, quick and affordable. Indian retail sector specially organized retail is growing rapidly, with customer spending growing in unprecedented manner. It is undergoing metamorphosis. Till 1980 retail continued in the form of kiranas that is unorganized retailing. Later in 1990s branded retail outlet like Food World, Nilgiris and local retail outlets like Apna Bazaar came into existence. Now big players like Reliance, Tatas, Bharti, ITC and other reputed companies have entered into organized retail business. The multinationals with 51% opening of FDI in single brand retail has led to direct entrance of companies like Nike, Reebok, Metro etc. or through joint ventures like Wal-mart with Bharti, Tata with Tesco etc. Evolution of retail sector can be seen in the share of organized sector in 2007 was 7.5% of the total retail market. Organized retail business in India is very small but has tremendous scope. The total in 2005 stood at $225 billion, accounting for about 11% of GDP. In this total market, the organized retail accounts for only $8 billion of total revenue. According to A T Kearney, the organized retailing is expected to be more than $23 billion revenue by 2010. The retail industry in India is currently growing at a great pace and is expected to go up to US$ 833 billion by the year 2013. It is further expected to reach US$ 1.3 trillion by the year2018 at a CAGR of 10%. As the country has got a high growth rate, the consumer spending has also gone up and is also expected to go up further in the future. In the last four years, the consumer spending in India climbed up to 75%. As a result, the Indian retail industry is expected to grow further in the future days. By the year 2013, the organized sector is also expected to grow at a CAGR of 40%. The key factors that drive growth in retail industry are young demographic profile, increasing consumer aspirations, growing middle class incomes and improving demand from rural markets. Also, rising incomes and improvements in infrastructure are enlarging consumer markets and accelerating the convergence of consumer tastes. Liberalization of the Indian economy, increase in spending per capita income and the advent of dual income families also help in the growth of retail sector. Moreover, consumer preference for shopping in new environs, availability of quality real estate and mall management practices and a shift in consumer demand to foreign brands like McDonalds, Sony, Panasonic, etc. also contributes to the spiral of growth in this sector. Furthermore, the Internet revolution is making the Indian consumer more accessible to the growing influences of domestic and foreign retail chains. One report estimates the 2011 Indian retail market as generating sales of about $470 billion a year, of which a miniscule $27 billion comes from organized retail such as supermarkets, chain stores with centralized operations and shops in malls. The opening of retail industry to free market competition, some claim will enable rapid growth in retail sector of Indian economy. Others believe the growth of Indian retail industry will take time, with organized retail possibly needing a decade to grow to a 25% share.[17] A 25% market share, given the expected growth of Indian retail industry through 2021, is estimated to be over $250 billion a year: a revenue equal to

the 2009 revenue share from Japan for the world's 250 largest retailers.,[18][19] The Economist forecasts that Indian retail will nearly double in economic value, expanding by about $400 billion by 2020.[20] The projected increase alone is equivalent to the current retail market size of France. In 2011, food accounted for 70% of Indian retail, but was under-represented by organized retail. A.T. Kearney estimates India's organized retail had a 31% share in clothing and apparel, while the home supplies retail was growing between 20% to 30% per year.[21] These data correspond to retail prospects prior to November announcement of the retail reform.

3.3 Challenges of Retailing in India

In India the retailing industry has a long way to go and to become a truly flourishing industry, retailing needs to cross various hurdles. The first challenge facing the organized retail sector is the competition from unorganized sector. Needless to say, the Indian retail sector is overwhelmingly swarmed by the unorganized retailing with the dominance of small and medium enterprises in contradiction to the presence of few giant corporate retailing outlets. The trading sector is also highly fragmented, with a large number of intermediaries who operate at a strictly local level and there is no barrier to entry, given the structure and scale of these operations (Singhal 1999).The tax structure in India favors small retail business. Organized retail sector has to pay huge taxes, which is negligible for small retail business. Thus, the cost of business operations is very high in India. Developed supply chain and integrated IT management is absent in retail sector. This lack of adequate infrastructure facilities, lack of trained work force and low skill level for retailing management further makes the sector quite complex. Also, the intrinsic complexity of retailing- rapid price changes, threat of product obsolescence, low margins, high cost of real estate and dissimilarity in consumer groups are the other challenges that the retail sector in India is facing. The status of the retail industry will depend mostly on external factors like Government regulations and policies and real estate prices, besides the activities of retailers and demands of the customers also show impact on retail industry. Even though economy across the globe is slowly emerging from recession, tough times lie ahead for the retail industry as consumer spending still has not seen a consistent increase. In fact, consumer spending could contract further as banks have been overcautious in lending. Thus, retailers are witnessing an uphill task in terms of wooing consumers, despite offering big discounts. Additionally, organised retailers have been facing a difficult time in attracting customers from traditional kirana stores, especially in the food and grocery segment. While in some sectors the restrictions imposed by the government are comprehensible; the restrictions imposed in few others, including the retail sector, are utterly baseless and are acting as shackles in the progressive development of that particular sector and eventually the overall development of the Indian Inc. The scenario is kind of depressing and unappealing, since despite the on-going wave of incessant liberalization and globalization, the Indian retail sector is still aloof from progressive and ostentatious development. This dismal situation of the retail sector undoubtedly stems from the absence of an FDI encouraging policy in the Indian retail sector. Also FDI encouraging policy can remove the present limitations in Indian system such as

1. Infrastructure
There has been a lack of investment in the logistics of the retail chain, leading to an inefficient market mechanism. Though India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables (about 180 million MT), it has a very limited integrated cold-chain infrastructure, with only 5386 stand-alone cold storages, having a total capacity of 23.6 million MT. , 80% of this is used only for potatoes. The chain is highly fragmented and hence, perishable horticultural commodities find it difficult to link to distant markets, including overseas markets, round the year. Storage infrastructure is necessary for carrying over the agricultural produce from production periods to the rest of the year and to prevent distress sales. Lack of adequate storage facilities cause heavy losses to farmers in terms of wastage in quality and quantity of produce in general. Though FDI is permitted in cold-chain to the extent of 100%, through the automatic route, in the absence of FDI in retailing; FDI flow to the sector has not been significant.

2. Intermediaries dominate the value chain

Intermediaries often flout mandi norms and their pricing lacks transparency. Wholesale regulated markets, governed by State APMC Acts, have developed a monopolistic and non-transparent character. According to some reports, Indian farmers realize only 1/3rd of the total price paid by the final consumer, as against 2/3rd by farmers in nations with a higher share of organized retail.

3. Improper Public Distribution System (PDS)

There is a big question mark on the efficacy of the public procurement and PDS setup and the bill on food subsidies is rising. In spite of such heavy subsidies, overall food based inflation has been a matter of great concern. The absence of a farmtofork retail supply system has led to the ultimate customers paying a premium for shortages and a charge for wastages.

4. No Global Reach
The Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has also suffered due to lack of branding and lack of avenues to reach out to the vast world markets. While India has continued to provide emphasis on the development of MSME sector, the share of unorganised sector in overall manufacturing has declined from34.5% in 1999-2000 to 30.3% in 2007-08. This has largely been due to the inability of this sector to access latest technology and improve its marketing interface.
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Thus the rationale behind allowing FDI in Indian retail sector comes from the fact, that it will act as a powerful catalyst to spur competition in retail industry, due to current scenario of above listed limitations, low completion and poor productivity. Permitting foreign investment in food-based retailing is likely to ensure adequate flow of capital into the country & its productive use, in a manner likely to promote the welfare of all sections of society, particularly farmers and consumers. It would also help bring about improvements in farmer income & agricultural growth and assist in lowering consumer prices inflation.[22] Apart from this, by allowing FDI in retail trade, India will significantly flourish in terms of quality standards and consumer expectations, since the inflow of FDI in retail sector is bound to pull up the quality standards and cost-competitiveness of Indian producers in all the segments. It is therefore obvious that we should not only permit but encourage FDI in retail trade.

.Lastly,

it is to be noted that the Indian Council of Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER), a premier economic think tank of the country, which was appointed to look into the impact of BIG capital in the retail sector, has projected the worth of Indian retail sector to reach $496 billion by 2011-12 and ICRIER has also come to conclusion that investment of big money (large corporate and FDI) in the retail sector would in the long run not harm interests of small, traditional, retailers. [23] In light of the above, it can be safely concluded that allowing healthy FDI in the retail sector would not only lead to a substantial surge in the countrys GDP and overall economic development, but would inter alia also help in integrating the Indian retail market with that of the global retail market in addition to providing not just employment but a better paying employment, which the unorganized sector (kirana and other small time retailing shops) have undoubtedly failed to provide to the masses employed in them. Industrial organisations such as CII, FICCI, US-India Business Council (USIBC), the American Chamber of Commerce in India, The Retail Association of India (RAI) and Shopping Centers Association of India (a 44 member association of Indian multibrand retailers and shopping malls) favour a phased approach toward liberalising FDI in multi-brand retailing, and most of them agree with considering a cap of 49-51 per cent to start with. The international retail players such as Walmart, Carrefour, Metro, IKEA, and TESCO share the same view and insist on a clear path towards 100 per cent opening up in near future. Large multinational retailers such as US-based Walmart, Germanys Metro AG and Woolworths Ltd, the largest Australian retailer that operates in wholesale cash-and-carry ventures in India, have been demanding liberalisation of FDI rules on multi-brand retail for some time.

Challenges and Attractions for Global Retailers Challenges:

History has witnessed that the concern of allowing unrestrained FDI flows in the retail sector has never been free from controversies and simultaneously has been an issue for unsuccessful deliberation ever since the advent of FDI in India. Where on one hand there has been a strong outcry for the unrestricted flow of FDI in the retail trading by an overwhelming number of both domestic as well as foreign corporate retail giants; to the contrary, the critics of unrestrained FDI have always fiercely retorted by highlighting the adverse impact, the FDI in the retail trading will have on the unorganized retail trade, which is the source of employment to an enormous amount of the population of India. The antagonists of FDI in retail sector oppose the same on various grounds, like, that the entry of large global retailers such as Wal-Mart would kill local shops and millions of jobs, since the unorganized retail sector employs an enormous percentage of Indian population after the agriculture sector; secondly that the global retailers would conspire and exercise monopolistic power to raise prices and monopolistic (big buying) power to reduce the prices received by the suppliers; thirdly, it would lead to asymmetrical growth in cities, causing discontent and social tension elsewhere. Hence, both the consumers and the suppliers would lose, while the profit margins of such retail chains would go up. Many trading associations, political parties and industrial associations have argued against FDI in retailing due to various reasons. It is generally argued that the Indian retailers have yet to consolidate their position. The existing retailing scenario is

characterized by the presence of a large number of fragmented family owned businesses, who would not be able to survive the competition from global players. The examples of south East Asian countries show that after allowing FDI, the domestic retailers were marginalised and this led to unemployment. Another apprehension is that FDI in retailing can upset the import balance, as large international retailers may prefer to source majority of their products globally rather than investing in local products. The global retailers might resort to predatory pricing. Due to their financial clout, they often sell below cost in the new markets. Once the domestic players are wiped out of the market foreign players enjoy a monopoly position which allows them to increase prices and earn profits. Indian retailers have argued that since lending rates are much higher in India, Indian retailers, especially small retailers, are at a disadvantageous position compared to foreign retailers who have access to International funds at lower interest rates. High cost of borrowing forces the domestic players to charge higher prices for the products. Another argument against FDI is that FDI in retail trade would not attract large inflows of foreign investment since very little investment is required to conduct retail business. Goods are bought on credit and sales are made on cash basis. Hence, the working capital requirement is negligible. On the contrary; after making initial investment on basic infrastructure, the multinational retailers may remit the higher amount of profits earned in India to their own country.

ATTRACTIONS
Retailing is being perceived as a beginner and as an attractive commercial business for organized business i.e. the pure retailer is starting to emerge now. Indian organized retail industry is one of the sunrise sectors with huge growth potential. Total retail market in India stood at USD 350 billion in 2007-08 and is estimated to attain USD 573 billion by 2012-13. Organised retail industry accounts for only 5.5% of total retail industry and is expected to reach 10% by 2012 (http://business.rediff.com). AT Kearney, the wellknown international management consultancy, recently identified India as the second most attractive retail destination globally from among thirty emergent markets. It has made India the cause of a good deal of excitement and the cynosure of many foreign investors eyes. With a contribution of an overwhelming 14% to the national GDP and employing 7% of the total workforce (only agriculture employs more) in the country, the retail industry is definitely one of the pillars of the Indian economy (http://www.indiaretailbiz.com/blog/2009/07/02). Foreign companies attraction to India is the billion-plus population. Also, there are huge employment opportunities in retail sector in India. Indias retail industry is the second largest sector, after agriculture, which provides employment. According to Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the retail sector will create 50,000 jobs in the next few years. As per the US Census Bureau, the young population in India is likely to constitute 53per cent of the total population by 2020 and 46.5 per cent of the population by 2050 much higher than countries like the US, the UK, Germany, China etc. Indias demographic scenario is likely to change favourably, and therefore, will most certainly drive retail sales growth, especially in the organised retail segment. Even though organised retailer shave a far lesser reach in India than in other developed countries, the first-mover advantage of some retail players will contribute to the sectors growth.

India in such a scenario presents some major attractions to foreign retailers. There is a huge, industry with no large players. Some Indian large players have entered just recently like Reliance, Trent. Moreover, India can support significant players averaging $1 bn. in Grocery and $0.3- 0.5 bn. in apparel within next ten years. The transition will open multiple opportunities for companies and investors. In addition to these, improved living standards and continuing economic growth, friendly business environment, growing spending power and increasing number of conscious customers aspiring to own quality and branded products in India are also attracting to global retailers to enter in Indian market. According to industry experts, organised retail in India is expected to increase from 5 per cent of the total market in 2008 to 14 - 18 per cent of the total retail market and reach US$ 450billion by 2015 (Mckinsey 2008).Furthermore, during 2010-12, around 55 million square feet (sq.ft.) of retail space will be ready in Mumbai, national capital region (NCR), Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. Besides, between 2010 and 2012, the organised retail real estate stock will grow from the existing 41 million sq.ft. to 95 million sq.ft. (Knight Frank India 2010). Thus, there is certainly a lucrative opportunity for foreign players to enter the Indian terrain.

Supporters claim none of these objections has merit. They claim: [26]
Organized

retail will need workers. Walmart employs 1.4 million people in United States alone.[27] With United States population of about 300 million, and India's population of about 1200 million, if Walmart-like retail companies were to expand in India as much as their presence in the United States, and the staffing level in Indian stores kept at the same level as in the United States stores, Walmart alone would employ 5.6 million Indian citizens. In addition, millions of additional jobs will be created during the building of and the maintenance of retail stores, roads, cold storage centers, software industry, electronic cash registers and other retail supporting organizations. Instead of job losses, retail reforms are likely to be massive boost to Indian job availability. India needs trillions of dollars to build its infrastructure, hospitals, housing and schools for its growing population. Indian economy is small, with limited surplus capital. Indian government is already operating on budget deficits. It is simply not possible for Indian investors or Indian government to fund this expansion, job creation and growth at the rate India needs. Global investment capital through FDI is necessary. Beyond capital, Indian retail industry needs knowledge and global integration. Global retail leaders, some of which are partly owned by people of Indian origin, [28] can bring this knowledge. Global integration can potentially open export markets for Indian farmers and producers. Walmart, for example, expects to source and export some $1 billion worth of goods from India every year, since it came into Indian wholesale retail market.
Walmart,

Carrefour, Tesco, Target, Metro, Coop are some of over 350 global

retail companies with annual sales over $1 billion. These retail companies have operated for over 30 years in numerous countries. They have not become monopolies. Competition between Walmart-like retailers has kept food prices in check. Canada credits their very low inflation rates to Walmarteffect. [30] Anti-trust laws and state regulations, such as those in Indian legal code, have prevented food monopolies from forming anywhere in the world. Price inflation in these countries has been 5 to 10 times lower than price inflation in India. The current consumer price inflation in Europe and the United States is less than 2%, compared to India's double digit inflation. Comparing 21st century to 18th century is inappropriate. Conditions today are not same as in the 18th century. India wasn't a democracy then, it is today. Global awareness and news media were not the same in 18th century as today. Consider China today. It has over 57 million square feet of retail space owned by foreigners, employing millions of Chinese citizens. Yet, China hasn't become a vassal of imperialists. It enjoys respect from all global powers. Other Asian countries like Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia see foreign retailers as catalysts of new technology and price reduction; and they have benefitted immensely by welcoming FDI in retail. India too will benefit by integrating with the world, rather than isolating itself. [31] With 51% FDI limit in multi-brand retailers, nearly half of any profits will remain in India. Any profits will be subject to taxes, and such taxes will reduce Indian government budget deficit States have a right to say no to retail FDI within their jurisdiction.[32] States have the right to add restrictions to the retail policy announced before they implement them. Thus, they can place limits on number, market share, style, diversity, homogeneity and other factors to suit their cultural preferences. Finally, in future, states can always introduce regulations and India can change the law to ensure the benefits of retail reforms reach the poorest and weakest segments of Indian society, free and fair retail competition does indeed lead to sharply lower inflation than current levels, small farmers get better prices, jobs created by organized retail pay well, and healthier food becomes available to more households. Inbuilt inefficiencies and wastage in distribution and storage account for why, according to some estimates, as much as 40% of food production doesn't reach consumers. Fifty million children in India are malnourished. Food often rots at farms, in transit, or in antiquated state-run warehouses. Costconscious organized retail companies will avoid waste and loss, making food available to the weakest and poorest segment of Indian society, while increasing the income of small farmers. Walmart, for example, since its arrival in Indian wholesale retail market, has successfully introduced "Direct Farm Project" at Haider Nagar near Malerkotla in Punjab, where 110 farmers have been connected with Bharti Walmart for sourcing fresh vegetables directly, thereby reducing waste and bringing fresher produce to Indian consumers. [34] Indian small shops employ workers without proper contracts, making them work long hours. Many unorganized small shops depend on child labour. A well-regulated retail sector will help curtail some of these abuses.[35] The claim that there is no consensus is without merit. Retail reforms discussions are not new. Comments from a wide cross-section of Indian

society including farmers' associations, industry bodies, consumer forums, academics, traders' associations, investors, economists were analysed in depth before the matter was discussed by the Committee of Secretaries. By early August 2011, the consensus from various segments of Indian society was overwhelming in favor of retail reforms.[36] The reform outline was presented in India's Rajya Sabha in August 2011. The announced reforms are the result of this consensus process. The current opposition is not helping the consensus process, since consensus is not built by threats and disruption. Those who oppose current retail reforms should help build consensus with ideas and proposals, if they have any. The opposition parties currently disrupting the Indian parliament on retail reforms have not offered even one idea or a single proposal on how India can eliminate food spoilage, reduce inflation, improve food security, feed the poor, improve the incomes of small farmers. Thus from the above contrasting views of critics and supporters; and also with reference to Industry analysis using Porters five force model, it can be inferred that opening of the Indian retail sector will advance the welfare of nation as a whole.

SWOT Analysis of Retail Sector:

1. Strengths: Major contribution to GDP: the retail sector in India is hovering
around 33-35% of GDP as compared to around 20% in USA.

High Growth Rate: the retail sector in India enjoys an extremely high
growth rate of approximately 46%. High Potential: since the organised portion of retail sector is only 2-3%, thereby creating lot of potential for future players. High Employment Generator: the retail sector employs 7% of work force in India, which is rite now limited to unorganised sector only.Once the reforms get implemented this percentage is likely to increase substantially.

2. Weaknesses (limitation): Lack of Competitors: AT Kearneys study on global retailing trends

found that India is least competitive as well as least saturated markets of the world.

Highly Unorganised: The unorganised portion of retail sector is only

97% as compared to US, which is only 20%. Low Productivity: Mckinsey study claims retail productivity in India is very low as compared to its international peers. Shortage of Talented Professionals: the retail trade business in India is not considered as reputed profession and is mostly carried out by the family members (self-employment and captive business). Such people are not academically and professionally qualified. No Industry status, hence creating financial issues for

retailers: the retail sector in India does not enjoy industry status in India,
thereby making difficult for retailers to raise funds.
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3. Opportunities (benefits):

There will be more organization in the sector: Organized retail will need more workers. According to findings of KPMG , in China, the employment in both retail and wholesale trade increased from 4% in 1992 to about 7% in 2001, post reforms and innovative competition in retail sector in that country. Healthy Competition will be boosted and there will be a

check on the prices (inflation):Retail giants such as Walmart,

Carrefour, Tesco, Target and other global retail companies already have operations in other countries for over 30 years. Until now, they have not at all become monopolies rather they have managed to keep a check on the food inflation through their healthy competitive practices. Create transparency in the system: the intermediaries operating as per mandi norms do not have transparency in their pricing. According to some of the reports, an average Indian farmer realises only one-third of the price, which the final consumer pays. Intermediaries and mandi system will be evicted, hence

directly benefiting the farmers and producers: the prices of

commodities will automatically be checked. For example, according to Business Standard, Walmart has introduced Direct Farm Project at Haider Nagar in Punjab, where 110 farmers have been connected with Bharti Walmart for sourcing fresh vegetables directly.

Quality Control and Control over Leakage and Wastage:

due to organisation of the sector, 40% of the production does not reach the ultimate consumer. According to the news in Times of India, 42% of the children below the age group of 5 are malnourished and Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh has termed it as national shame. Food often gets rot in farm, in transit and in state-run warehouses. Cost conscious and highly competitive retailers will try to avoid these wastages and losses and it will be their endeavour to make quality products available at lowest prices, hence making food available to weakest and poorest segment of Indian society. Heavy flow of capital will help in building up the

infrastructure for the growing population: India is already

operating in budgetary deficit. Neither the government of India nor domestic investors are capable of satisfying the growing needs (school, hospitals, transport etc.) of the ever growing Indian population. Hence foreign capital inflow will enable us to create a heavy capital base. There will be sustainable development and many other

economic issues will be focussed upon:many Indian small shop

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owners employ workers, who are not under any contract and also under aged workers giving rise to child-labour. It also boosts corruption and black money.

4. Threats: Current Independent Stores will be compelled to close:

This will lead to massive job loss as most of the operations in big stores like Walmart are highly automated requiring less work force.

Big players can knock-out competition: they can afford to lower prices in initial stages, become monopoly and then raise prise later. India does not need foreign retailers: as they can satisfy the whole domestic demand.

Remember East India Company it entered India as trader and then took over politically. The government hasnt able to build consensus.
In view of the above analysis, if we try to balance opportunities and prospects attached to the given economic reforms, it will definitely cause good to Indian economy and consequently to public at large, if once implemented. Thus the period for which we delay these reforms will be loss for government only, since majority of the public is in favour of reforms. All the above mentioned drawbacks are mostly politically created. With the implementation of this policy all stakeholders will benefit whether it is consumer through quality products at low price, farmers through more transparency in trading or Indian corporates with 49% profit share remaining with Indian companies only.
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CHAPTER-5
Effects of FDI on various Stakeholders 5.1 Impact on Farming Communities
A supermarket revolution has been underway in developing countries since the early 1990s. Supermarkets (here referring to all modern retail, which includes chain stores of various formats such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, and convenience and neighbourhood stores) have now gone well beyond the initial upper- and middle-class clientele in many countries to reach the mass market. Within the food system, the effects of this trend touch not only traditional retailers, but also the wholesale, processing, and farm sectors. When supermarkets modernize their procurement systems, they require more from suppliers with respect to volume, consistency, quality, costs, and commercial practices. Supermarkets impact on suppliers is biggest and earliest for food processing and food-manufacturing enterprises, given that some 80% of what supermarkets sell consists of processed, staple, or semi-processed products. But by affecting processors, supermarkets indirectly affect farmers, because processors tend to pass on the demands placed on them by their retail clients. Supermarket chains prefer, if they are able, to source from medium and large processing enterprises, which are usually better positioned than small enterprises to meet supermarkets requirements. The rise of supermarkets thus poses an early challenge to processed food microenterprises in urban areas. By contrast, as supermarkets modernize the procurement of fresh produce (some 1015% of supermarkets food sales in developing countries), they increasingly source from farmers through specialized and dedicated wholesalers (specialized in product lines and dedicated to modern segments) and occasionally through their own collection centers. Where supermarkets source from small farmers, they tend to buy from farmers who have the most non-land assets (like equipment and irrigation), the greatest

access to infrastructure (like roads and cold chain facilities), and the upper size treacle of land (among small farmers). Where supermarkets cannot source from medium- or large-scale farmers, and small farmers lack the needed assets, supermarket chains (or their agents such as the specialized and dedicated wholesalers) sometimes help farmers with training, credit, equipment, and other needs. Such assistance is not likely to become generalized, however, and so overtime asset-poor small farmers will face increasing challenges surviving in the market as it modernizes. When farmers enter supermarket channels, they tend to earn from 20 to 50% more in net terms. Among tomato farmers in Indonesia, for example, net profit (including the value of own labour as imputed cost) is 3339% higher among supermarket channel participants than among participants in traditional markets. Farm labour also gains. But supplying supermarket chains requires farmers to
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make more up-front investments and meet greater demands for quality, consistency, and volume compared with marketing to traditional markets.

Support for retail reforms

In a pan-Indian survey conducted over the weekend of 3 December 2011, overwhelming majority of consumers and farmers in and around ten major cities across the country support the retail reforms. Over 90 per cent of consumers said FDI in retail will bring down prices and offer a wider choice of goods. Nearly 78 per cent of farmers said they will get better prices for their produce from multiformat stores. Over 75 per cent of the traders claimed their marketing resources will continue to be needed to push sales through multiple channels, but they may have to accept lower margins for greater volumes.[37]
.

Farmer groups
Various farmer associations in India have announced their support for the retail reforms. For example: Shriram Gadhve of All India Vegetable Growers Association (AIVGA) claims his organization supports retail reform. He claimed that currently, it is the middlemen commission agents who benefit at the cost of farmers. He urged that the retail reform must focus on rural areas and that farmers receive benefits. Gadhve claimed, "A better cold storage would help since this could help prevent the existing loss of 34% of fruits and vegetables due to inefficient systems in place." AIVGA operates in nine states including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Punjab and Haryana with 2,200 farmer outfits as its members.[38] Bharat Krishak Samaj, a farmer association with more than 75,000 members says it supports retail reform. Ajay Vir Jakhar, the chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj, claimed a monopoly exists between the private guilds of middlemen, commission agents at the sabzi mandis (India's wholesale markets for vegetables and farm produce) and the small shopkeepers in the unorganized retail market. Given the perishable nature of food like fruit and vegetables, without the option of safe and reliable cold storage, the farmer is compelled to sell his crop at whatever price he can get. He cannot wait for a better price and is thus exploited by the current monopoly of middlemen. Jakhar asked that the government make it mandatory for organized retailers to buy 75% of their produce directly from farmers, bypassing the middlemen monopoly and India's sabzi mandi auction system.[38]

37."India government puts foreign supermarkets "on pause"". Reuters. 4 December 2011 38."Farmer Organisations back retail FDI". The Financial Express. 2 December 2011.

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Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations (CIFA) announced its support for retail reform. Chengal Reddy, secretary general of CIFA claimed retail reform could do lots for Indian farmers. Reddy commented, India has 600 million farmers, 1,200 million consumers and 5 million traders. I fail to understand why political parties are taking an anti-farmer stand and worried about half a million brokers and small shopkeepers. CIFA mainly operates in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu; but has a growing member from rest of India, including Shetkari Sanghatana in Maharashtra, Rajasthan Kisan Union and Himachal Farmer Organisations. Prakash Thakur, the chairman of the People for Environment Horticulture & Livelihood of Himachal Pradesh, announcing his support for retail reforms claimed FDI is expected to roll out produce storage centers that will increase market access, reduce the number of middlemen and enhance returns to farmers.[39] Highly perishable fruits like cherry, apricot, peaches and plums have a huge demand but are unable to tap the market fully because of lack of cold storage and transport infrastructure. Sales will boost with the opening up of retail. Even though India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, its storage infrastructure is grossly inadequate, claimed Thakur. Sharad Joshi, founder of Shetkari Sangathana (farmers association), has announced his support for retail reforms.[40] Joshi claims FDI will help the farm sector improve critical infrastructure and integrate farmer-consumer relationship. Today, the existing retail has not been able to supply fresh vegetables to the consumers because they have not invested in the backward integration. When the farmers' produce reaches the end consumer directly, the farmers will naturally be benefited. Joshi feels retail reform is just a first step of needed agricultural reforms in India, and that the government should pursue additional reforms. Suryamurthy, in an article in The Telegraph, claims farmer groups across India do not support status quo and seek retail reforms, because with the current retail system the farmer is being exploited. For example, the article claims: [41] Indian farmers get only one third of the price consumers pay for food staples, the rest is taken as commissions and mark-ups by middlemen and shopkeepers. For perishable horticulture produce, average price farmers receive is barely 12 to 15% of the final price consumer pays. Indian potato farmers sell their crop for Rs.2 to 3 a kilogram, while the Indian consumer buys the same potato for Rs.12 to 20 a kilogram.

Impact on Traditional Mom and Pop Stores

The main question being raised is whether the traditional mom and pop stores will survive and co-exist or leave the field for major organized retail players? The answer could be a co-existence. The major advantage for the smaller players is the size, complexity and diversity of our Indian Markets. If we look at the organized retail players, most of them have opened shop in the Metros, Tier 1 and Tier 2 towns. Very rarely do we find organized players in the rural areas and we

have more than 70% of the population living in the rural areas. There are a multitude of reasons being floated around to prevent the liberalisation of the FDI norms for Indian retail: Primary among these is the concern regarding the kirana stores as well other locally operated Mom and Pop stores being adversely affected by the entry of global retail giants such as Walmart, Carrefour and Tesco. As these brands would come with advanced capabilities of scale and infrastructure in addition to having deep pockets, it is argued that this would result in the loss of jobs for lakhs of people absorbed in the unorganised sector. Fears have also been raised over the lowering of prices of products owing to better operational efficiencies of the organised players that would affect the profit margins of the unorganised players. Instability surrounding the political arena with a number of scams of varying magnitudes doing the rounds has also led to a sense of uncertainty among foreign investors. Many Industry experts though, feel that the reservations against the introduction of Multi-Brand retail are mostly misplaced. The successful deployment of 100%FDI in China is a case in point. Partial FDI in retail was introduced in 1992 in China. Subsequently, in December 2004, the Chinese retail market was fully opened up to utilise the enormous manpower and wide customer base available that has led to a rapid growth of the sector. Today, its retail sector is the second largest (in value) in the world with global retailers such as Walmart, 7-Eleven and Carrefour comprising 10% of the total merchandise. Multi-brand retail, if allowed, is expected to transform the retail landscape in a significant way: Firstly, the organised players would bring in the much needed investment that would spur the further growth of the sector. This would be particularly important for sustenance of some of the domestic retailers that dont have the resources to ride out the storm during an economic slump such as the case with Vishal, Subhiksha and Koutons, which couldnt arrange for funds to sustain their growth. The technical know-how, global best practices, quality standards and cost competitiveness brought forth through FDI would augur well for the domestic players to garner the necessary support to sustain their growth.
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Indian

has also been crippled by rising inflation rates that have refused to come within accepted levels. A key reason for this has been attributed to the vastly avoidable supply chain costs in the Indian food and grocery sales which has been estimated to be a whopping US$ 24 Bn. The infrastructure support extended to improve the backend processes of the supply chain would enable to eliminate such wastages and enhance the operational efficiency. FDI in multi-brand retail would in no way endanger the jobs of people employed in the unorganised retail sector. On the contrary, it would lead to the creation of millions of jobs as massive infrastructure capabilities would be needed to cater to the changing lifestyle needs of the urban Indian who is keen on allocating the disposable income towards organised retailing in addition to the local kirana stores. These stores would be able to retain their importance owing to their unique characteristics of convenience, proximity and skills in retaining customers. Also, these would be more prominent in the Tier-II and Tier-III cities where the organised supermarkets would find it

harder to establish themselves. FDI in multi-brand retail is therefore a necessary step that needs to be taken to propel further growth in the sector. This would not only prove to be fruitful for the economy as a whole but will also integrate the Indian retail sector with the global retail market. It is not a question of how it will be done but when.

Contrary to the above view,

Traditional retailing has been established in India for many centuries, and is characterized by small, family-owned operations. Because of this, such businesses are usually very low-margin, are owneroperated, and have mostly negligible real estate and labour costs. Moreover, they also pay little by way of taxes. Consumer familiarity that runs from generation to generation is one big advantage for the traditional retailing sector. It is often said that the mom-and-pop store in India is more like a father-and-son enterprise. Such small shops develop strong networks with local neighbourhoods. The informal system of credit adds to their attractiveness, with many houses running up a tab with their neighbourhood kirana store, paying it off every fortnight or month. Moreover, low labour costs also allow shops to employ delivery boys, such that consumers may order their grocery list directly on the phone. These advantages are significant, though hard to quantify. In contrast, players in the organized sector have to cover big fixed costs, and yet have to keep prices low enough to be able to compete with the traditional sector. Getting customers to switch their purchasing away from small neighbourhood shops and towards largescale retailers may be a major challenge. The experience of large Indian retailers such as Big Bazaar shows that it is indeed possible. Anecdotal evidence of consumers who return from such shops suggests that the wholesale model provides for major bargains something Indian consumers are always on the lookout for. The other major challenge for retailers in India, as opposed to the US, is the storage setup of households. For the large-scale retail model to work, consumers visit such large stores and return with supplies likely to last them for a few weeks. Having such easy access to neighbourhood stores with whom, as discussed above, it is possible to have a line of credit and easy delivery service, congested
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urban living conditions imply that few Indian households might be equipped with adequate storage facilities. In urban settings, real estate rents are also very high. Thus opportunities in this sector are limited to those retailers with deep pockets, and puts pressure on their margins. Conversely for retailers looking to set up large stores at a distance from residential neighbourhoods may struggle to attract consumers away from their traditional sources of groceries and other products.

5.2.1 Impact of organized retail on unorganized Retail (Case Study China)

Myth: Organized global retailers eat up local retail chains including mom and pop
stores

Truth: China, which brought in global retailers like Wal-Mart in 1996, has just
about 20% of organized retail meaning the argument that unorganized retail gets decimated, is fallacious.

1. FDI in retailing was permitted in China for the first time in 1992. Foreign retailers
were initially permitted to trade only in six Provinces and Special Economic Zones. Foreign ownership was initially restricted to 49%. 2. Foreign ownership restrictions have progressively been lifted and, and following Chinas accession to WTO, effective December, 2004, there are no equity restrictions. 3. Employment in the retail and wholesale trade increased from about 4% of the total labour force in 1992 to about 7% in 2001. The numbers of traditional retailers were also increased by around 30% between 1996 and 2001. 4. In 2006, the total retail sale in China amounted to USD 785 billion, of which the share of organized retail amounted to 20%. 5. Some of the changes which have occurred in China, following the liberalization of its retail sector, include: Over 600 hypermarkets were opened between 1996 and 2001 The number of small outlets (equivalent to kiranas) increased from 1.9 million to over 2.5 million. Employment in the retail and wholesale sectors increased from 28 million people to 54 million people from 1992 to 2000
Source: DIPP

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Effect of FDI on Traditional Market in China Type No. of stores in 1996 No. of stores in 2001 Type No. of stores in 1996 No. of stores in 2001 Traditional 1,920,604 2,565,028 Supermarkets 13,079 152,194 Convenience 18,091 Hypermarkets 593
Source: Foreign Direct Investment in Retail ICICI Bank (2004)
Thus the above discussion and case of China suggest that it is too early to predict the erosion of mom and pop stores in India with opening of multi-brand retail sector in India to foreign investors.

5.3 Impact on Consumers and existing Supermarkets

Supermarkets tend to charge consumers lower prices and offer more diverse products and higher quality than traditional retailersthese competitive advantages allow them to spread quickly, winning consumer market share. In most countries supermarkets offer lower prices first in the processed and semiprocessed food segments. Only recently, mainly in the first- and second-wave countries have supermarket prices for fresh fruits and vegetables been lower than traditional retailers (except in India). The food price savings accrue first to the middle class, but as supermarkets spread into the food markets of the urban poor and into rural towns,

they have positive food security impacts on poor consumers. For example, in Delhi, India, the basic foods of the urban poor are cheaper in supermarkets than in traditional retail shops: rice and wheat are 15% cheaper and vegetables are 33% cheaper. Existing Indian retail firms such as Spencer's, Foodworld Supermarkets Ltd, Nilgiri's and ShopRite support retail reform and consider international competition as a blessing in disguise. They expect a flurry of joint ventures with global majors for expansion capital and opportunity to gain expertise in supply chain management. Spencer's Retail with 200 stores in India, and with retail of fresh vegetables and fruits accounting for 55% of its business claims retail reform to be a win-win situation, as they already procure the farm products directly from the growers without the involvement of middlemen or traders. Spencers claims that there is scope for it to expand its footprint in terms of store location as well as procuring farm products. Foodworld, which operates over 60 stores, plans to ramp up its presence to more than 200 locations. It has already tied up with Hong Kong-based Dairy Farm International. With the relaxation in international investments in Indian retail, Indias Foodworld expects its global relationship will only get stronger.

Conclusion
The discussion above highlights: (1) Small retailers will not be crowded out, but would strengthen market positions by turning innovative/contemporary. (2) Growing economy and increasing purchasing power would more than compensate for the loss of market share of the unorganised sector retailers. (3) There will be initial and desirable displacement of middlemen involved in the supply chain of farm produce, but they are likely to be absorbed by increase in the food processing sector induced by organised retailing.
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(4) Innovative government measures could further mitigate adverse effects on small retailers and traders. (5) Farmers will get another window of direct marketing and hence get better remuneration, but this would require affirmative action and creation of adequate safety nets. (6) Consumers would certainly gain from enhanced competition, better quality, assured weights and cash memos. (7) The government revenues will rise on account of larger business as well as recorded sales. (8) The Competition Commission of India would need to play a proactive role. Thus from developed countries experience retailing can be thought of as developing through two stages. In the first stage, modern retailing is necessary in order to achieve major efficiencies in distribution. The dilemma is that when this happens it inevitably moves to stage two, a situation where an oligopoly, and quite possibly a duopoly, emerges. In turn this implies substantial seller and buyer power, which may operate against the public interest. The lesson for developing countries is that effective competition policy needs to be in place well before the second stage is reached, both to deter anticompetitive behaviour and to evaluate the extent to which retail power is being used to unfairly disadvantage smaller retailers and their customers. The sources of retail power need

to be understood to ensure that abuses of power are curbed before they occur. The more important debate lies in the parameters of competition policy. The benefits brought by modern retailers must be acknowledged and not unduly hindered. While it is true that some dislocation of traditional retailers will be felt, time will prove that the hardship brought will not be substantial. Competition law is being created and adopted across Asia but in the immediate future its impact is not expected to be large. Competition laws only become vital as time passes and retail becomes concentrated in the hands of a few powerful companies, whether or not these companies are foreign or domestic. In conclusion, the issue that India must grapple with now is the impact of reduced competition brought about by retailer concentration will have on various stakeholders and the ways in which competition laws and policy can deal with this growth of power before it is too late. The new Competition Act, 2002 has all the required provisions. It would, anyhow, depend on how it is implemented.