Govt claims increasing consensus for FDI in multi-brand retail

14 Aug 2012 Evaluate

After facing an embarrassment last week that only two state and two Union Territories have given written consent for foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, the government now claims that eight states and two Union territories have expressed their support for FDI in multi-brand retail.

Earlier it was stated that, states of Delhi and Manipur along with Union Territories of Daman and Diu as well as Dadra and Nagar Haveli had expressed their support for FDI, but now Minister of State for Commerce and Industry has said that Maharashtra, Assam, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir state chief’s have given their consent and asked for its implementation, also one of the non-congress ruled state Punjab, too has been said to be giving a similar commitment soon.

There has been widespread resistance for the retail FDI move, from within the government and outside. Though, the Centre has been trying to evolve a consensus by holding consultations with all stakeholders, including the states, which have to take the final call. But for now the decision has been suspended to evolve a broader consensus among the various stakeholders.

However, there is encouraging news for the retail sector, the commerce ministry has said that India has received six proposals from global single-brand retailers seeking permission to own 51 per cent of their operations in the country. Retailers who have applied to the government include apparel maker Tommy Hillfiger, clothing retailer Brooks Brother Group, Italian jewellery brand Damiani International, French fashion brand Promod SAS, Fapa Company and NA Pali Europe SARL, which is a unit of sport-wear retailer Quiksilver Inc.

© 2026 The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. MoneyWorks4Me ® is a registered trademark of The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd.

×