The government will work to help kirana stores, as well as local traders, link with online retail

“This is the government’s responsibility. We will definitely do that,” The Hindu BusinessLine has quoted NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant as saying. NITI Aayog CEO has reiterated that the government is clear on its E-commerce policies, adding that kirana stores have to grow along with modern retail. Also, Kant suggested that kirana stores and traders need to link to the Indian Postal system, which in turn is being linked to the banking system.
“Traditional and modern retail will co-exist in the country. Modern retail will only grow, and there is a need to adopt technology and digitisation,” he said. Kant emphasised that the retail sector is poised to emerge as the largest sector projected to attain a growth projection of $1.3 trillion by 2020. “Growth with jobs will happen in the retail sector,” However, he affirmed that the government would not stop or restrict capital inflow in retail. “India has a large consumer base, and as per-capita income grows, purchasing power will grow. This will lead to more people buying branded products. He also said that big players like Amazon and Walmart would need to partner with kirana stores to grow.”