On the retail FDI issue, a possibility being talked about in the corridors of power is the Congress might withdraw its support to AAP in Delhi.
Even as the Centre is working overtime to roll out FDI in retail while the real decision might rest with the states, Arvind Singhal, chairman, Technopak Advisors, often referred to as the poster boy of the Indian retail sector, said the so-called big-ticket measure was "not the most important thing"for the sector.
The industry is counting minutes and hours in the run-up to the Parliament session on Wednesday, as finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has said any announcement would be made in the House.
Opposition placated on multi-brand FDI, single-brand policy to be notified during Winter session.
Facing a possible slowdown in the face of a sluggish growth in developed economies, especially in the US, the Economic Survey on suggested on Thursday a series of reforms including hiking FDI in insurance and retail sector to sustain the 9 per cent rate of economic expansion.
Part of the official delegation accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the Association of South East Nations summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, he was briefing the media on board the aircraft earlier on Sunday.
The commerce and industry ministry has informed the Prime Minister's Office that the Bharti Group has conveyed to the government that its joint venture with Wal-Mart was in compliance with the existing FDI policy.
Out of 2,852 stocks traded on the BSE, 1,515 declined while 1,219 advanced.
The controversy over allowing FDI in retail rocked Parliament for the third day on Tuesday with a united opposition forcing adjournment of both the Houses till noon. Shortly after the Lok Sabha met for the day, members rushed to the Well, demanding rollback of the decision to allow FDI in the retail sector. Members of Trinamool Congress, a key partner of the United Progressive Alliance, kept shouting 'Cancel FDI in retail'.
The move to open multi-brand retail to foreign direct investment may run into rough weather, with key Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states, as well as some constituent parties of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, rejecting or being ambivalent towards the proposed policy.
AAP, set to form the government in Delhi, had said it was opposed to foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail.
In matters of policy, this court will not interfere unless it is unconstitutional, the judge declared.
The government wants to use the FDI victory impetus to clear the Companies Bill and those amending the banking and pension Acts.
Spanner may have been thrown in the government works on foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail.
Defending its policy of liberalising foreign direct investment in retail, the government confirmed that it would go ahead with its plan to expand its ambit.
Emerging consensus is that all state capitals be covered.
Local traders are evaluating other options rather in FDI.
Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Delhi had said yes; 3 states which had okayed FDI have Assembly polls next year.
Foreign direct investment in the multi-brand retail may be allowed subject to a stiff condition that global retailers will have to invest heavily in the back-end infrastructure like warehousing and cold storage.
Mamata Banerjee, who had pulled out of UPA-II over FDI in retail, among other issues, would dedicate mall to people of Kolkata.
The government should stick to the recent clarifications released on FDI in multi-brand retail trading and not ease the conditions for foreign retailers.
Well aware that the government cannot control inflation through RBI's monetary tools only, the Centre tried to inbuilt a supply-augmenting mechanism in the economy by opening multi-brand retail to 51 per cent FDI, but vehement opposition from the Opposition and even some of the United Progressive Alliance allies forced it to hold back the decision.
Coming out strongly in defence of foreign direct investment in retail, the ministry of commerce and industry has told the Prime Minister's Office that there is no empirical evidence to suggest that organised retail would adversely impact small retail
The real estate industry is divided over the impact of the proposed foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.
The committee of secretaries (CoS) looking into the issue of allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in the multi-brand retail segment is likely to meet this Friday to try for more agreement on the issue.
Global retail behemoths seem to have read the signals right.
Thailand, Indonesia want unconditional access to India's multi-brand retail space.
The department of industrial policy and promotion, nodal agency for FDI policy under the ministry of commerce and industry, seems to have prepared a note for the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs to consider.
Left to move motions entailing vote; NDA to rally parties against FDI move; DMK keeps suspense alive on its stance.
United Progressive Alliance's second largest partner Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Monday demanded reconsideration of the decision to allow FDI in the multi-brand retail sector and said it would back any opposition-sponsored resolution that may be brought on the issue in Parliament.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has written to chief ministers of Odisha, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, stating opening the multi-brand sector to the foreign direct investment would 'bring in investments, technologies and efficiencies to unlock the true potential of the agricultural value chain'.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the government will have to find some solution to the feisty issue of opening up of retail sector for FDI.
Industry body CII has asked the governments of Delhi and Rajasthan to reconsider their decisions to scrap the FDI policy for multi-brand retail as such investments would help create millions of jobs and benefit consumers.
India Inc has expressed strong displeasure over the Delhi government's decision to withdraw approval to FDI in multi-brand retail, saying the move was likely to hinder foreign investments flowing into the country.
The government is considering to tweak FDI policy in retail sector so as to allow global chains like Walmart, Carrefour and Tesco to open multi-brand stores in non-hilly cities with population less than one million.
Others like IBM, Coke and Pepsi also lobby for foreign markets.
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