Bangalore, October 18, 2006: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. today announced that it is on course to source directly more than US $600 million in goods in 2006 from suppliers in India for the company's stores around the world. In 2005, WM Global Sourcing India Private Limited directly sourced more than US $400 million from suppliers in India. In addition, Wal-Mart bought a substantial amount of Indian-made goods through importers. Major categories sourced from India include home textiles, apparel, fine jewelry and house wares.To oversee the company's sourcing from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, Rajnish Kapur has been appointed as General Manager of WM Global Sourcing India Private Limited. Prior to joining Wal-Mart, Rajnish was Vice President, Hardlines & Home Division of Li & Fung Ltd., in charge of accounts for several leading retailers. Rajnish graduated from I.M.T. Ghaziabad and is an MBA in marketing. He started his career in 1991 holding managerial positions in Qualified Learning Systems Inc., Fortune International Ltd, and Linmark Int'l."Wal-Mart's position as one of the leading buyers of Indian products is a position carefully earned over the years through close partnership with our suppliers. We expect that direct sourcing from the region will continue to grow as suppliers in the region are innovative and respond quickly to new trends and business opportunities," said Rajnish Kapur.Wal-Mart Global Procurement began its activities in India in 2001 with the opening of a sourcing liaison office in Bangalore and in 2006 has grown to a full subsidiary with more than 120 associates. The office in India serves as a hub for sourcing merchandise from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka to Wal-Mart stores around the world.Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) operates Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. The company has operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca, formerly the Pacific Stock Exchange, under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com.
