The Conclave comprised of discussions on various topics related to the challenging retail sector in India today, such as mass, luxury, food, and entertainment retailing.
The Conclave was addressed by eminent speakers including Mr. Subhinder Singh Prem, MD, Reebok India; Mr. Atul Joshi, CEO, Subhiksha; Mr. Atulit Saxena, Senior VP, Future Brands; Mr. Satyaki Ghosh, VP – North, Spencer's Retail; Mr. Ashish Kapur, MD, Yo! China and Mr. Rajnish Wahi, Chief Officer – Business Development, E-City Ventures.
The welcome address was delivered by FMS faculty member Dr. Harsh Vardhan Verma, wherein he shared his perspective on the changing face of retail in India, while taking a closer look into the minds of the Indian consumer.
Mr. Subhinder Singh Prem, MD, Reebok India started the session with an "India Poised" video. He emphasized on the rapid changes coming up in the Indian retailing environment and went on to explain the success factors and requirements for tapping different Indian consumer mindsets. Mr. Singh focused on the field of luxury retail and spoke on the importance of understanding the psyche of the Indian consumer. He left the students enthralled with his captivating presentation.
Mr. Atul Joshi, CEO, Subhiksha, said that retailing is not a business but a concept. He discussed the mass-retailing concept in India and gave an insight into the hugely successful model of Subhiksha.
Mr. Atulit Saxena, Senior VP, Future Brands, put forth the idea of a world of free brands irrespective of conception, production, marketing origin & control. He also talked about certain interesting facets of retailers depending on their behavior of operation, categorizing them into Servants, Monkeys, VIP's, Cost Warriors, and many others.
Mr. Satyaki Ghosh, VP, Spencer's Retail talked about the key dilemma, being faced by the Indian retailers, of balancing growth and its profitability in the current scenario of margin crunch. Through a comparison with international retailers like Wal-Mart, Mr. Ghosh presented the real issues being faced by the industry and provoked thought in a meaningful direction.
Mr. Ashish Kapur, MD, Yo! China, brought in an entrepreneur's perspective into the discussions. He provided insights into food retailing in India and its opportunities. Mr. Kapur left the students with an inspiring thought – treat poverty with respect because it is the training ground for the next wave of global entrepreneurs.
The Conclave concluded with an address by Mr. Rajnish Wahi, Chief Officer - Business Development for Fun Multiplexes (Essel Group's multiplex chain). He provided a detailed insight on its evolution and progress of entertainment retailing.
