The Retailers’ Association of India has welcomed the Telangana Government’s move to permit all shops and establishments in the State to remain open till 1:00 AM as an ease of doing business-enabling measure. This move aims to create additional jobs, besides providing flexibility and convenience to customers.
The Govt of Telangana has confirmed that all establishments, except liquor shops, remain open for an extended period. Furthermore, the Government has also confirmed that they will allow 24×7 delivery/takeaway operations for the restaurants.
Speaking about this development, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, RAI, said, “Extended hours of operation are a win-win situation for consumers, businesses, and the government. This step allows the consumers the flexibility to shop at their convenience. It will also give a boost to tourism in the State and will help create jobs. This move will be very good, particularly for the food and beverage industry. It will make the restaurants across the state more vibrant. A vibrant retail environment is critical to economic growth. We hope the Govt will soon allow all establishments to remain open 24X7 throughout the year.”
Retailers Association of India delegation had a series of meetings with the Telangana Government to implement the notification issued by the State Govt for 24X7 store opening last year. It was highlighted that while the 24/7 notification was effective, the local police authorities did not recognize the notification and asked the business to shut operations early.
RAI has been working with various state governments for enabling Ease of Doing Business and has been pursuing various departments to adopt the State Retail Trade Policy and allow retailers to operate 24X7. The organization has worked with the governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka & Tamil Nadu for implementation of the same. This move is in line with the goal that retail in India is expected to touch $2 trillion by 2032 as it constitutes 10% of the nation’s GDP
