Activists in India protest against Wal-Mart

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/printedition/2007/08/10/walmart.html

Activists in India protest against Wal-Mart

By Matthew Rosenberg
Associated Press
Published on: 08/10/07

New Delhi, India —- Several hundred small shop owners, trade unionists and activists rallied in India's capital Thursday to protest a push by Wal-Mart and other foreign megastores into India's retail market.

Protesters shouted and burned effigies representing Wal-Mart and its local partner, Bharti Enterprises.

The rally underscored growing tensions in India as the country's economic boom moves beyond high technology and other big businesses that employ relatively few people and begins to transform parts of the economy that provide a livelihood for hundreds of millions of people.

Since the start of the year, there have been spasms of violence by farmers angry over land lost to big industrial projects. A Communist insurgency has taken root in southern and eastern India.

Organizers at Thursday's protest said it was time that the country's estimated 12 million mom-and-pop shops were heard, and they promised more rallies.

Dhamendra Kumar of India FDI Watch, a group that's lobbying against the big stores, promised a long campaign.

Full story at link.

[OhioChick]

1. What's India Complaining About??

Wal-Mart bets bigger on India, adds more products

Published on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 00:19 in Business section

Mumbai: The world's biggest retailer is betting bigger on India. After sourcing products worth $600 million in 2006, comprising largely of apparel, jewellery and textiles, Wal-mart is scaling up. This year it is adding electronics, leather accessories and footwear to its portfolio of products being sourced from India to be sold through 7,000 stores globally.


“Some of the new initiatives we are taking are more and more penetration in footware and electronics. We see that as a growing opportunity from India. We are exploring our opportunities there so if there were merit and it is established that electronics is an opportunity at least five or six vendors add up in the category,” says General Manager, Wal-Mart Global Outsourcing India, Rajnish Kapur.

<snip>
In some cases, exports to Wal-Mart account for over 50 per cent of the Indian company's turnover. Wal-Mart's decision to enhance its procurement is therefore good news for Indian companies.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/walmart-bets-bigger-on-india-adds-more-products/45545-7.html