Indian traders reject FDI in multi-brand retail and emphasise the need for a policy to regulate the labour-intensive sector. TRADERS across the country responded angrily to the Union Cabinet's decision to allow 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail trade, disproving the arguments of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the assessment of corporate India, which had tried hard to make it appear that traders and...

Policymakers have repeatedly said that commodity futures help farmers hedge their risks. But data from Forward Markets Commission (FMC), the regulator for the business worth Rs 106 lakh crore during April-October, paints a different picture. The share of agricultural trade is just a tad over 10% and within this, food products such as soya oil and chana accounted for less than 7% of the total value. Of course, the government itself...

-The Telegraph   Two prominent leaders of India Inc have slammed the way Parliament has virtually been locked down by “misconceived and unfortunate” protests against foreign investment in retail — a decision they termed “an essential part of India’s growth story”. The concerns and an appeal to farmers, consumers and common people have been flagged in an open letter by Ashok Ganguly and Deepak Parekh. Ganguly, a Rajya Sabha MP, is a former...

Has India done a China to its trade partners? Against huge opposition and popular discontent over the years, the Cabinet last week cleared 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail and allowed 100 per cent FDI in single-brand retail. The move appears crafty in that it tries to change the perception of a reform impasse in the government while simultaneously aiding India’s negotiators to meet their peers...

-The Times of India   Traders across the country have downed their shutters to join the protest against government's decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail.  The impact of the strike has been visible in several cities. In some cities, shopkeepers took out marches demanding a rollback of the government move.  In Maharashtra, around 35 lakh small and medium traders have kept their shops shut in response to the bandh.  "We have received...