The $500 bn Indian retail sector is at a crossroads. Of the 14 retailers in FY05 only seven are making profits at present though the sector Ebitda has seen a giant jump in the last decade. Disregard for local sensibilities has proved the undoing of several Indian/global retailers notwithstanding the deployment of $4 bn over the FY 05-15 period. A study of the success stories provides indicators of what works in the Indian retail space: a strong portfolio of own brands, control over the supply chain and balance sheet discipline.
