FDI in multi-brand retail not "a revolving door": Commerce Minister

21 Jan 2014 Evaluate

Upset over Delhi government's recent decision to withdraw the approval given by the previous Sheila Dikshit--led government for FDI in multi-brand retail, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma underscored that states were only given option to join the FDI multi-brand retail policy and it is not 'a revolving door'.

However, commerce minister highlighted that he would seek legal opinion on whether a state can opt out of the policy. Further, the minister also pointed that such political inability would confuse domestic as well as foreign investors.

The central government allowed 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retailing in September 2012 and left its implementation to the states. Post to that, as many as 12 states, mostly Congress-led, including Delhi and Rajasthan, agreed to allow global retailers to open supermarket chains. However, recently, Delhi’s new government decided to withdraw the approval given to FDI by the previous government in multi-brand retail in Delhi, citing that small store owners would stand to lose business with this move, which would also add to widespread unemployment.

Notably, it is due to this prevailing political uncertainty, FDI in multi-brand retail has not evoked the expected response from global retailers, with only one proposal from UK-based Tesco so far being approved by the central government.

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