Public-private partnerships will give a boost the retail sector

The Economic Times reports that one of the major requirements for further growth of the retail industry is real estate development and investments in infrastructure, which can be funded through public-private partnerships. According to Ajay Dua, secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, "There is scope for public private partnership in real estate management and infrastructure for retail."

There is also a need for an efficient system of logistics in the retail industry, a place where FDI would likely be possible. Mr Dua urged retailers to go beyond the metros and expand to smaller towns and cities, to enter rural markets and offer micro credit schemes.