Sahara plans major expansion in FMCG retail space

Business conglomerate Sahara India today announced a mega expansion plan in the fast-moving consumer goods retail space, with plans to launch a range of food and non-food items at over 10,000 retail outlets across 285 cities in India.

"For the first time in India, Sahara India Pariwar is setting up the largest FMCG company in the country with its own distribution network through over 10,000 franchisee outlets," Sahara India said in a public announcement.

The group plans to have 305 warehouses spread across 285 cities with more than 25,000 distribution vehicles in order to cater to consumers right at their doorsteps, it added.

As per its website, at present, Sahara offers a range of FMCG products and other items through a chain of showrooms under the banner 'Unique' at various locations in India.

The announcement further said the group will also get into the packaged water business.

Details of the planned investment and timelines for the expansion programme could not be ascertained immediately from the group.

Sahara India claimed that with the new initiative, the unorganised retail sector is set for a "complete transformation".

"With 3,500 quality advisors and seven state-of-the-art quality labs in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Nagpur, Patna and Lucknow, Sahara India Pariwar will assure quality through packaging, uninterrupted supply chain, doorstep delivery and money-back guarantee," the announcement said.

It is hunting for a new Chief Operating Officer to steer the new venture and is also hiring professionals across levels and verticals, including supply chain management, marketing, finance, legal, human resource and sales.

It is also looking for business partners to provide logistics services at various levels.

The group currently has assets with a market value of Rs 1 lakh crore and a workforce of more than 10 lakh people, it said.

It has a presence in various sectors, including financial services, infrastructure and housing, media and entertainment and information and technology.