The biggest retail event of India packed with back-to-back sessions, workshops, exhibitions and unlimited networking opportunities exceeds everyone’s expectations yet again with a huge numbers of retail captains and policy makers thronging the venue to shop for success.

Over 3,000 leaders, delegates and stakeholders – virtually the Who’s Who of the Indian retail industry – thronged the auditoriums and exhibition spaces of the India Retail Forum (IRF) 2011 that concluded with a colorful awards ceremony on the night of September 22, 2011, at Mumbai’s Hotel Renaissance.

The two-day annual forum, perhaps the most important event in a retail executive’s diary, was modeled around the theme of “Shopping for Retail Success.” It was loaded with about 35 high-powered sessions, workshops and debates covering a wide swathe of topics that are of immense interest to India’s $28bn organized retail industry. Over 200 speakers discusses issues such as FDI in retail, store design, understanding the urban consuming class, what ails Indian retail, brand positioning, the Tier 2 / Tier 3 opportunity and a host of others.

There were also around a 100 companies in the exhibition halls showcasing their products and properties to the delegates and visitors who were busy checking out the new offerings and networking with others in the cafes and cafeterias of the forum. The mood among the delegates was cheerful and festive, with a lot of optimism for the future of Indian modern retail.

IMAGES fora are known worldwide, where the retail, franchise and shopping centre fraternities converge to explore India – a market that is highly likely to emerge as one of the largest retail destinations in the world by the end of this decade.

• Brand Retailers • Department Stores • Discounters • Forecourt Retailers • Hypermarkets • Independent Retailers • Speciality Retailers • Shopfit & Design • Retail Real Estate • Retail Technology • Loss Prevention • CRM & Customer Service • Investors & Fund Managers • Franchisees & Franchisors • HR Specialists • Merchandise & Product Suppliers • Government & Trade Bodies • Service Providers • Academia

"It is my privilege to chair the 2011 edition of IRF. The 2010 edition marked the resurgence of consumption in India, the cautious expansion of modern retail and renewed interest in the Indian market from international retailers. Despite slowdown in reforms and increase in demands for transparency and eliminating corruption from civil society, the economy progressed well. IRF 2011 called to catalyse action within the Indian retail industry and we all look forward with great anticipation to the positive energy that we can see flowing through the market."

Bijou Kurien
Chairman, India Retail Forum (IRF) 2011
President & CE – Lifestyle, Reliance Retail Ltd