Indian retail chiefs to go on a learning trip to UK

International retail chains are holding their horses before starting operations in India but Indian firms are taking no chance. Representatives of Indian chains such as Reliance Retail, Shoppers Stop, Trent, Mahindra Retail, Titan and Godrej Nature will travel to the UK in October to pick up tips on the best practices in modern retail operations.

The Indian executives will visit general merchandise chain Tesco, luxury store Harrods, departmental outlets such as Marks & Spencer and John Lewis, Westfield Mall and electronics major Currys. Also on the itinerary are Ocado, a dedicated online supermarket selling groceries, household products, toys and books, and ASOS, an online fashion and beauty group likely to be in the list of interactions.

Among these, Tesco wants to open stores in India; it is currently in a tie-up with Tata Group's Trent for backend support. Marks & Spencer, in a venture with Reliance Retail, operates multiple stores in India.

The trip will provide a unique opportunity for Indian execs to visit iconic retail stores and gain knowledge on their best practices, said the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which is leading the delegation. The list of companies and their representatives are yet to be finalised for the trip, a CII official.