India: Retail & Manufacturing Hub? FTAs Fuel Growth, Countering Import Concerns, Says Official

Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO of the Retailers Association of India (RAI), emphasised India’s growing consumer demand and manufacturing capabilities.

With FTAs making international products more accessible to Indian consumers at competitive prices, Rajagopalan noted this strategy is a win-win for both imports and exports.

Source : Freepik

India is positioning itself as a global hub for retail and manufacturing, leveraging Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to enhance competitiveness and open up new markets, according to a top industry voice.

Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO of the Retailers Association of India (RAI), emphasised India’s growing consumer demand and manufacturing capabilities while speaking at the National Retail Federation’s 2025 event for the Asia Pacific in Singapore, reported PTI.

“We are among the most attractive markets, with a growing young population that makes us one of the world’s largest consumer markets with insatiable demand for the best in the world,” Rajagopalan said, underscoring India’s appeal to global suppliers and producers. With FTAs making international products more accessible to Indian consumers at competitive prices, Rajagopalan noted this strategy is a win-win for both imports and exports.

Regulatory Safeguards and Quality Assurance in Place

Amid growing concerns about potential dumping of low-quality imports, Rajagopalan assured that India has firm measures in place to counter such risks. “The country has created laws that can protect against such trade-damaging practices, and that can be challenged at the World Trade Organisation,” he stated. With four decades of trade experience, he added that India operates a robust quality control system, particularly important as imports of food products are expected to rise with more FTAs being signed.

India’s expanding trade agreements are facilitating the inflow of value-added industrial goods and food items such as cheeses, soybeans, wines, and beverages. At the same time, the Make in India initiative is enabling the production of export-ready goods, with Rajagopalan pointing out that it is producing “world-class high-standard products both for the domestic market as well as export, thanks to the FTAs opening more export opportunities”.

Traditional Retail Still Thrives Amid Digital Surge

Despite rapid digitalisation and a boom in quick-commerce, Rajagopalan highlighted that a large part of India’s retail ecosystem still operates through traditional outlets. “85 per cent of the 7,00,000 stores in India are still operating in traditional formats, ranging from the corner shop Kiraana to single store supplying everything in the range of garments and edibles,” he explained. These small retailers continue to compete alongside large department stores and e-commerce platforms, which have been bolstered by online payments and express delivery models that now average under 10 minutes.

RAI represents nearly 2,500 retail entities with a combined business volume of approximately USD 900 billion, expected to grow by 10 per cent annually. Rajagopalan also mentioned “Fynd,” a Mumbai-based AI-powered commerce platform serving not just India but expanding into markets across the Middle East and Africa—demonstrating how Indian-made goods and platforms are beginning to command global attention.