-The Times of India   UPA partners Trinamool Congress and DMK rejected Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal to drop their opposition to FDI in retail on Thursday, enhancing the possibility that the government may have to announce that it will not roll out the decision.  Although a formal notification to make the Cabinet decision operational has already been put off, the unrelenting opposition from Trinamool and DMK may force the government to put...

  -The Times of India Shops and commercial establishments in many cities across the country have downed their shutters to protest government's decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail. However, the impact of the strike is varied from state to state. In Maharashtra, round 35 lakh small and medium traders have kept their shops shut in response to the bandh. "We have received good response for the bandh in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai...

-BBC   India's PM Manmohan Singh has defended the decision to open up the retail market to global supermarket chains, saying it will be good for both "farmers and the common man". Mr Singh was reacting to opposition demands to reverse the decision to allow 51% foreign ownership of multi-brand retail stores. Opposition politicians say the move will damage India's small retailers. Parliament has been in uproar and was forced to adjourn again on Wednesday. 'Better...

-The Hindu   In a bid to break the impasse over foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, the government made a vain attempt on Wednesday night to persuade the Opposition to tone down the wording of its motion. But it was told in categorical terms that the demand for a rollback of the decision was non-negotiable. The Opposition stance was conveyed by the Working President of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and...

Manmohan Singh today refused to yield to pressure on the question of allowing foreign direct investment in retail and appeared ready for a protracted battle, including the risk of a vote in Parliament despite his government’s fragile majority. Somewhat reminiscent of his nuclear deal stand, the Prime Minister confronted those who had accused the government of taking a hasty decision on retail. “We have not taken this decision in haste, but after...