L Catterton Bullish on India, but There Won't Be Any Blind Bets
L Catterton is launching a $400 million India Fund I, backed by a $200 million greenshoe, to double down on the country’s consumer sector. The firm will target founder‑led, differentiated brands in structurally attractive categories while shunning businesses that chase top‑line growth without solid unit economics. It emphasizes an operator‑led model that can secure 20‑40 % lower entry valuations than market benchmarks. This disciplined stance comes as private‑equity investors race to capture India’s long‑term consumption story, often at inflated prices.
India's AC Industry Braces for Supply Disruptions as LPG, Petrochemical Shortages Emerge Amid West Asia Conflict
India’s air‑conditioner manufacturers are confronting supply bottlenecks as the West Asia conflict disrupts LPG imports and petrochemical deliveries. LPG, essential for brazing copper and curing powder‑coated parts, and polymers such as polypropylene are becoming scarce, prompting concerns ahead of the...
HyFun Foods Bets on Exports, Retail and Capacity Expansion to Hit ₹5k Cr Revenue
HyFun Foods, a Gujarat‑based frozen potato products maker, aims to reach ₹5,000 crore in revenue within three years by expanding exports, domestic retail, and manufacturing capacity. The company currently derives about 70% of its sales from over 45 export markets and...
Impact of Gulf War: Input Costs Make Electronics, Cars & More Goods Expensive
The Gulf war has triggered a sharp rise in input costs for plastics, resins and polymers, pushing up international freight rates and weakening the rupee. Indian manufacturers across automotive, consumer electronics, appliances, paints and footwear are planning price hikes of...
Flipkart Calls Re 1 Milk Offer a Limited Promotion After Bamul Moves CCI
Flipkart defended its Re 1 per litre milk promotion as a limited-time campaign, saying prices are set by sellers and farmer procurement rates remain unchanged. The company’s statement follows a complaint by Bangalore Cooperative Milk Union (Bamul) to the Competition Commission...
Heineken Doubles Down on India, Eyes 'Biggest Untapped Beer Market'
Heineken announced it will intensify its focus on India, calling the country the world’s biggest untapped beer market. The brewer, which controls United Breweries and the Kingfisher brand, already commands close to 50% of Indian beer sales. It cites structural...
Flipkart, Amazon Expand Dark Stores as Profit Check Slows Quick Commerce Majors
Flipkart and Amazon are rapidly expanding their quick‑commerce dark‑store networks in India, with Flipkart adding about 100 stores per month to reach roughly 1,200 by June and Amazon targeting 500 stores by adding two daily. Both firms are intensifying discounting...
FSSAI Directs Independent Milk Producers, Vendors to Obtain Mandatory Registration
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued an advisory on March 11, 2026 mandating that independent milk producers and milk vendors obtain a registration or licence before operating. The directive excludes producers who are members of dairy cooperatives and...
Food and Beverage Outlets Near Shutdown, Unable to Fulfil Online Orders Amid LPG Crisis
India's food and beverage sector faces an acute LPG shortage due to disrupted Gulf supplies, forcing many restaurants and cloud‑kitchens in Bengaluru, Delhi and Pune to shut or trim menus. Outages affect up to 30% of kitchens, with some outlets...
Delhi High Court Rejects Parle Products' Appeal in Avon Agro Case
The Delhi High Court dismissed Parle Products’ appeal against the Registrar’s order that granted the “20‑20” trademark to Avon Agro Industries for coffee, tea, biscuits and related items. The court ruled that Parle’s earlier use and registration do not bar...
Biryani Blues Bets on Regional Depth over Rapid Expansion; Plans ₹20 Crore Capex for Growth
Delhi‑based Biryani Blues is prioritising regional depth over rapid national rollout, allocating about ₹20 crore in capex to expand its company‑owned stores across North India. The chain, now operating ~80 outlets, aims for 40% revenue growth next year by adding 14...
Indian Edible Oil Buyers Move to Secure Prompt Shipments as Prices Surge
Indian edible‑oil buyers are accelerating shipments as vegetable‑oil prices and freight rates surge, fearing delays from the Middle East conflict. India, the world’s largest importer, is curbing fresh purchases of soy and sunflower oil, which could temper further price spikes...
India Must Tap FTA Opportunities: Piyush Goyal
India’s commerce minister Piyush Goyal urged firms to capitalise on the nine free‑trade agreements covering 38 developed economies, which open roughly two‑thirds of global trade to Indian exporters. He highlighted India’s rise to 38th in the Global Innovation Index and...
Apple Now Makes About 25% of iPhones in India After China Pivot
Apple boosted iPhone assembly in India by roughly 53% in 2025, reaching about 55 million units and accounting for a quarter of its global output. The shift helps the company sidestep escalating US tariffs on Chinese‑made devices and diversifies its supply...
IPO-Bound Flipkart Completes Reverse Flip; Shifts Domicile From Singapore to India
Flipkart has completed a reverse flip, moving its legal domicile from Singapore back to India after securing National Company Law Tribunal approval and central‑government clearance under Press Note 3. The restructuring merges all Singapore‑based holding entities into Flipkart Internet Private Limited,...
Australian Retailer Cotton On Eyes 40-50 Stores Across India with Apparel Group Partnership
Australian fashion retailer Cotton On Group announced a franchise partnership with India’s Apparel Group to launch 40‑50 stores across the country over the next five to six years. The rollout will begin in Delhi NCR before expanding to other metros and select...
Delhi's Khan Market Sees 8% Rental Growth of Retail Space Last Year, 14% Rise at Gurugram's Galleria Market: Cushman
Delhi’s high‑street retail market posted solid rent growth in 2025, with Khan Market climbing 8 percent to Rs 1,700‑1,800 per square foot, while Gurugram’s Galleria Market led the region with a 14 percent increase. Across Delhi‑NCR, monthly rents rose between 2 and 14...
Reliance Consumer Products to Bring Finnish Fazer’s Chocolates to India
Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Finland’s Fazer to manufacture, market and distribute premium chocolates across India. The partnership will use Fazer’s recipes and quality standards while leveraging RCPL’s access to roughly three million...
IKEA Aims to Be Profitable by FY28; to Open 25 Small & Medium Stores in Next 4-5 Years
IKEA India aims to become profitable by the end of FY28. To reach that goal, the retailer will add 25 small and medium‑format stores over the next four to five years, expanding beyond its three large‑format locations. It is shifting...
India & China Must-Win Markets on Rising Middle-Class Households: Reckitt Chief
Reckitt Benckiser’s CEO Kris Licht declared India and China must‑win markets as middle‑class households there now outnumber those in Europe and the United States combined. Emerging markets now represent about 42 % of Reckitt’s core net revenue, with India and China...
UNIQLO India Clocks 60% CAGR, E-Com Soars 140%; Sees Massive Expansion Potential
UNIQLO India posted a 44% year‑on‑year revenue jump to Rs 1,100 crore in FY25, driven by a 60% compound annual growth rate since 2019 and a 140% CAGR in e‑commerce sales. The retailer opened its 18th store, a 17,000 sq ft flagship in Bengaluru,...
Starbucks-SuperYou Partnership Taps India’s ‘Permissible Indulgence’ Trend
Starbucks India has partnered with nutrition brand SuperYou to launch a protein‑enriched cold foam add‑on for its cold beverages, priced at ₹50. The offering is now available across more than 500 Starbucks locations nationwide, targeting the “permissible indulgence” trend where...
TRG Group Bets on Mall-Anchored Grocery Retail with Launch of OneMart in Greater Noida West
TRG Group has launched OneMart, a 20,000‑sq‑ft supermarket inside its TRG The Mall in Greater Noida West. The store carries more than 10,000 SKUs, spanning fresh produce, private‑label items and national brands, and offers home delivery, loyalty programmes, and express...
Curefoods Widens Playbook with Chicken, Coffee and Ice Cream Ahead of IPO
Curefoods is gearing up for a second‑quarter IPO by broadening its portfolio beyond pizza and biryani into fried chicken, premium ice‑cream and budget coffee. The company plans to shift from a delivery‑first cloud‑kitchen model to a multi‑brand platform with a...
Warm February Fuels 30% Surge in Summer Product Sales; Beverage, Ice-Cream and AC Makers Cheer
An unusually warm February in India, with temperatures up to 31.9 °C, triggered a 25‑30% jump in sales of beverages, ice‑cream and air‑conditioners compared with the rain‑soaked February of 2025. Executives say the early heat is providing a strong tailwind for...
Jumbotail, NEC Partner to Digitise 19 Mn Kirana Stores; Japanese Major to Invest
Bengaluru‑based B2B marketplace Jumbotail has signed a strategic partnership with Japan’s NEC Corporation, which will also make a direct investment in the firm. The collaboration blends NEC’s AI‑driven retail technology with Jumbotail’s e‑commerce and fintech platform to digitise India’s roughly...
Global Brands Shut Middle East Stores as Conflict Causes Chaos
Global brands are shuttering or scaling back Middle East stores as the U.S.-Israeli air war with Iran escalates, prompting voluntary staffing and temporary closures across Dubai, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Luxury conglomerates Kering and LVMH halted travel...
Textile Export to Be Hit because of West Asia Conflict
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz will force Indian garment exporters to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 20‑25 days to transit times. Higher freight costs and longer shipping windows threaten the tight seasonal calendars of...
Handpickd Expands Into Flour and Spices Category, Plans New Cities Entry
Handpickd, the farm‑to‑home fresh food platform, is extending its product line into freshly milled flours and pounded spices, aiming for the segment to generate 20% of its revenue by the end of the next fiscal year. The company currently operates...
Nothing Before Coffee Aims for 400 Stores by 2029
Nothing Before Coffee (NBC), the Jaipur‑based quick‑service coffee chain, plans to expand to 400 company‑owned stores by 2029, up from over 100 locations across 39 cities today. The firm is shifting fully to a COCO model to maintain control over...
Online Betting Ban and GST Relief Boost Demand: Titan MD Ajoy Chawla
Titan Managing Director Ajoy Chawla said India’s recent online betting ban, GST rationalisation and income‑tax‑slab relief have freed roughly ₹10,000 crore a month for middle‑class consumers, boosting discretionary spending. The extra cash is translating into stronger demand for Titan’s jewellery brands, though...
Celio’s Francois Gomez Bets on Bigger Stores, Honest Pricing and Sharper India Play
At the ET Retail GIRS 2026 conference, Celio COO Francois Gomez outlined a new growth plan for India, emphasizing larger‑format stores and a shift away from discount‑driven sales. The brand will prioritize honest pricing and its core apparel DNA—suits, polos, shirts and...
ETGIRS 2026: Manish Malhotra Maps the Journey From Costume Designer to Global Luxury Brand Builder
At ETRetail GIRS 2026, designer Manish Malhotra outlined his 20‑year evolution from Bollywood costume artist to global luxury label. He highlighted the discipline learned on film sets, the pivotal Delhi flagship opening, and the need for a distinct, cinema‑inspired brand...
ETRetail GIRS2026: Is Gastro-Entertainment Retail’s Next Big Growth Engine
Eatopia is pioneering gastro‑entertainment retail by pairing high‑quality Indian cuisine with curated music experiences, notably collaborating with singer Shankar Mahadevan. The chain standardizes recipes and operational SOPs to deliver identical flavors from India to the UAE, achieving a repeat‑customer rate...
VCs Hit Jackpot as FMCG Giants Go on D2C Acquisition Spree
Venture capital firms such as Fireside Ventures, Eight Roads Ventures and Peak XV have secured multi‑bagger exits by selling stakes in Indian D2C brands to FMCG conglomerates. USV Pharma’s Rs 1,583 crore purchase of Wellbeing Nutrition, Hindustan Unilever’s Rs 824 crore acquisition of Oziva and its...
Young India Shifts to Solitaires as Prices Decline 30%
Diamond prices in India dropped about 30% year‑on‑year, prompting a 25‑35% surge in solitaire demand among 28‑40‑year‑olds. A 1‑carat engagement ring now sells for roughly ₹5‑5.5 lakh, down from ₹7‑8 lakh, making diamonds a cheaper alternative to gold‑heavy jewellery. First‑time purchasers in...
‘Purpose Before Profit’: IKEA India CEO Patrik Antoni on Scaling for the Long Term
IKEA India’s CEO Patrik Antoni emphasized that purpose, not profit, drives the company’s long‑term scaling in the country. He highlighted deep consumer insight, democratic design and consistent quality as pillars for adapting a billion‑dollar brand to India’s diverse market. While...
Amazon Opens 2nd Largest Asia Office in Bengaluru for 7,000 Employees
Amazon has opened its second‑largest office in Asia, a 12‑storey, 1.1 million‑square‑foot campus in Bengaluru that will house more than 7,000 employees across e‑commerce, payments, technology and seller services. The facility features flexible workspaces, extensive recreation amenities and sustainable building practices...
Behind the Resurgence: Zomato, Swiggy Regain Food Delivery Momentum in the Dec Quarter
India’s food‑delivery duopoly posted a strong rebound in the October‑December quarter, with Zomato’s gross order value climbing 21.3% and Swiggy’s rising 20.5%, both surpassing the 20% growth threshold. Monthly transacting users grew 21.5% to 24.9 million for Zomato and 18.1 million for...
Table 2.0: Restaurants Absorb 'Ozempic Effect' For Weight-Loss Drug Consumers
Indian restaurant chains are rolling out "Size O" menus—smaller, protein‑focused portions aimed at consumers using GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro. Anti‑obesity drug sales surged to Rs 1,363 crore, more than double the previous year, prompting eateries to label traditional large...
From Corporate Iftars to Deep Discounts, Ramadan Reshapes Dubai Business
Ramadan slows Dubai’s relentless pace, trimming private‑sector workdays by two hours and compressing school schedules. Evening becomes the new business hub as hotels and convention halls host corporate iftars and late‑night suhoor gatherings that double as networking platforms for Muslims...
ETGIRS 2026: India’s Soft Power Edge - Kajol on Cinema, Culture and the Business of Trust
At the Economic Times Great India Retail Summit 2026, actress Kajol highlighted how Indian cinema, epitomised by the 30‑year‑old blockbuster *Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge*, has become a pillar of India’s soft‑power. She argued that brands seeking global growth must tell authentic...
ETGIRS 2026: Growth at What Cost? CEOs of Home Centre and USPA Call Time on Vanity Expansion
At the ETGIRS 2026 Leadership Trialogue, Home Centre CEO Jayanti Ganguly and USPA chief Amitabh Suri warned that unchecked store‑count growth is no longer a viable strategy. Both leaders emphasized profitability, brand equity and selective premium locations over blind expansion. Ganguly...
Beyond the Number: How India's Retail Leaders Plan to Actually Hit $2 Trillion
India’s retail market, valued at roughly $950 billion, aims to breach the $2 trillion mark by 2032‑34, requiring sustained double‑digit growth. Industry leaders at ET GIRS 2026 argued the target hinges on organizing the vast unorganized sector and boosting per‑capita consumption across three consumer...
