The_Big_K
@Gandalf: The point is Walmart won't just sell fresh vegetables. Their main business will be to stuff the stores with foreign, non-agri products. The mental slaves people have become that they think anything in a shiny package is 'good for health'. I belong to the world of advertising and know how easy it is to fool common people with repeated lies.
Just an example: Fair & Lovely (and now, Fair & Handsome) show a blatant lie on TV that they make you fair. Show me *ONE* example where a dark person has turned fair. The bad part is; each of their advertisement makes people believe dark-skin is actually a bad thing and hinders your chances of success in life. People usually don't have time to 'use' their brain. They'd readily believe any actor posing as a 'doctor' by wearing a white apron.
Hence, there comes the real need for education
Though i think even if they stock up piles of foreign brands but taken the cost into consideration it would be bought only by upper middle class and the richer classes who any way prefer foreign brands quality over indian
Take a car as an example, richer class would still prefer a BMW , Mercedes over a Indian Car like Tata or a Maruti
India's Middle class is estimated at 150 million whereas the total population is 1.21 billion
22% of population lives below poverty line
Shouldn't we worry about eradicating poverty and illiteracy
Creation of job opportunities would give a boost to both literacy rates since it will lower unemployment rate
It is presently estimated at 9.4 % i.e 94 persons per thousand are unemployed
Advertising has been a field to fool people
Coke, pepsi and other carbonated drinks are manufactured for less than 5rs/Litre
and sold at around Rs 33/litre
Some positives that i feel would boost india's growth story with FDI
1. Increase in Knowledge of retail industry in India to rural areas means Larger Exposure
2. Farmers will be able to know the different new technologies available
3. Our Villages would be able to prevent loss of crops and wastage because he could not sell it and it is perishable
Won't The companies bring their profitable technologies and would implement it in Indian Farms
and decrease the food wastage
Rabo India's Report to Ministry Of food processing estimates food wastes worth at a whooping 58000 cr every year
I see no problem if they are getting utilized
Think of the overall population rather than a 12% middle class or a 10 % of upper class
Think of a wider population of around 75%
This was the point i intended to make by the post of article from business standard