27 February 2023, Mumbai
About RAI
The Retailers Association of India (RAI) is a leading industry association representing retailers in India. It was established in 2004 and since then, it has been working towards creating a conducive environment for the growth and development of modern retail in India.
RAI's members include a diverse group of retailers, ranging from large-format retail chains to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as online and offline retailers. The organization provides a platform for retailers to come together, exchange ideas, and collectively work towards common goals.
Apart from advocacy and representation, RAI offers a range of services and programs to its members, including training and development programs, industry research and insights, and networking opportunities. It also works closely with government and regulatory bodies to promote policies that are beneficial for the growth of the retail sector in India.
The Retail Leadership Summit (RLS) is a good place to be a knowledge-sharing and networking credible platform in the Indian retail industry. The event facilitates letting multi-stakeholders converge to deliberate on the issues of the day as a way forward for instance building sustainable omnichannel retail businesses amongst many other.
Strong speakers lineup
Speakers at the RLS 2023, including beloved CEO, RAI Kumar Rajagopalan, echoed the view it is a business imperative today for the earlier need for technological adoption and staying invested in infrastructural upgradation to keep Indian retail in good style and health amidst impending global recessionary concerns around issues such as biting inflation and the Russia-Ukraine war no deescalating anytime soon.
Amongst the dignitaries, Kulin Lalbhai, ED of Arvind Ltd. iterated on the potential negative impact of online hypergrowth and ill practices of over/excessive reliance on discounts. While Venu Nair, MD and CEO of Shoppers Stop Limited, very explicitly outlined the paradigm shift in shopping behavior and buying preferences Post-Covid era which bodes well for the retail sector looking at re-imaging and re-inventing the sector per se.
Abhishek Ganguly, MD of Puma India and South East Asia, alluded to the kinetics of the retail sector and celebrated the Indian retail industry evolution underpinning the vitality of understanding consumers' as the old adage goes," Customer is the cause of existence".
Excellence or Perfectionism; The event also felicitated by recognizing a "Spirit of Excellence" and announced the winners of India's Retail Champions Awards 2022, which spanned a bunch of companies across different segments of the Indian retail industry.
Bottomline
Overall, the RLS as a premier platform well serves for industry imbibing & fostering a culture of innovation grounds up, and ideations of new/lateral ideas facilitating thought leaders to share trade insights and uplifting the spirit of entrepreneurship thus unleashing animal spirit.