Bharti-Wal-Mart JV for wholesale trade: Indian Govt

The government said on Tueasday that world's largest retailer Wal-Mart has tied up with Bharti Group for wholesale operations in the country.

"As per information furnished by Bharti in January, it is working with Wal-Mart for setting up back-end infrastructure like cold chains, logistics, sourcing and merchandising for cash and carry wholesale operations," Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar told Lok Sabha in a written reply.

In view of the various representations received on impact of growth of organised retail, a study by a reputed research organisation has been commissioned, he said. In reply to another question of threat to national security for foreign investment, Kumar said government was constantly addressing the concerns of national security.

Government, he said, has asked the Planning Commission to identify the backward districts so that it can formulate policies so that industrial units come up in these areas. "The department of industrial policy and promotion has recently requested the Planning Commission to identify clear cut empirical criteria to define industrial backwardness and undertake a comprehensive survey to rank all districts on the parameters of industrial backwardness," Kumar said.

The survey has been requested with a view to formulate suitable policies for locating industries in such areas for economic development, he said.