Japanese retail conglomerate Seven & I Holdings Company—which owns the world’s largest chain of convenience stores, 7-Eleven, across 18 countries—and compatriot Seibu Department Stores are believed to be keen on having a presence in India.
Since FDI policy in retail does not allow foreign players in front-end retail, both are scouting for potential Indian partners to franchise brands in the domestic market. delegation from Seven & I Holdings already visited India last year. Yoshikazu Takeuchi, former consul general of Japan in Kolkata, said both 7-Eleven and Seibu could make Delhi their first stop.
“Their business model is markedly different from that of Wal-Mart and Metro,? Takeuchi said. Unlike the US retail major, they sell ready-to-eat food rather than vegetables. “Seibu specialises in small pop-and-mom shops. They are interested in bringing Japanese homegrown products to India,? he said.
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