The city of Mumbai today (10 October) saw large protests against the expansion of organised retail in India.
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Thousands of Indians joined a rally organized by the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra (FAM), and represents around 750 unions and small business associations in India.
Placards carrying the messages “Corporations quit retail” and “United against corporate colonization” were waved during the protests, which took place in the historic Azad Maidan district of southern Mumbai.
One protestor, Arvind Gopal, told just-food: “We are not worried about competition; there has always been competition among us, but how can we survive with these big companies? We will have to close our shops and will have to work for them.”
Reliance Retail and Pantaloon Retail India are the biggest local companies in the market, while the likes of Metro and Wal-Mart have made moves into India’s cash-and-carry sector.
The Mumbai protests today follow recent demonstrations against the expansion plans of Reliance Retail in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state.
