The boom in organised retail will set the tone for major economic overhaul

The ripple effect will be improved supply chains, volume output, integration into global commerce, and higher tax collection, writes T N Ninan

Agriculture is crisis-ridden. Manufacturing is patchy when it comes to gaining momentum. Construction is down in the dumps, except for Nitin Gadkari’s highway programme. And the financial sector is affected by the banking crisis. So which is the sunrise sector? The surprising answer is trade, and more specifically organised retailing.

Consider recent developments. Reliance (mostly a b-to-b operation for much of its history) has just said its consumer-facing business is going to be the company’s growth driver. Walmart is investing $16 billion in Flipkart. And Ikea is about to open its first Indian store in Hyderabad. The stock market