I think Wal-Mart must be given a chance but the concerns of Small retailers must also be taken care of. But will Wal-Mart sell two cigarretes instead of an entire packet which the local shops sell? and Where will they be located? Cities rights? 70% of the populations till live in small towns and villages. Will they sell 2 egges or 100 gms of chana or give credits on the face value and pr a small vendor has with a buyer. And how many people in India will have the means to travel long distances to shop from Wal-Mart, just a few, the top end. It is important to see what percentage of population will be their customers? In Bombay where there are very few a very small superbazars like Apana Bazar, it is strange to see so few people buy things from them and the vendors standing outside selling fresh fruits and vegetables and eatbles sell more than the Apna bazar. Then we Indians have a major cultural inclinations for 'freshness' distinguished from not so fresh or 'basi'---will Wal mart be able to solve that problem. I think India is huge market and it would be wrong to predict that Wal-mart will kill all the jobs. Undoubtedly there would be few effects of the change but competition is always good and I can see Wal-mart surviving with Reliance with small retailers on the same turf without causing loss but rahter generating more jobs directly as well as indirectly. Hindustan Motors till this date has not come out either with a better model or efficient machine-why? no competition and safe market-all government cars are ambassadors. But their ineffciency have made them sick. Market operators will be required to innovate no doubt but innovation is the only remedy against competition and protection agsint competition will only create more inefficient HMs in India, more Tradeunions, more closures and more govts like that in West Bengal-slow and inefficient. Do we want that-No. So let Wal-mart come in.
