New policy to boost employment, tourism and consumer convenience; RAI calls for 24/7 operations across the state
The Retailers’ Association of India (RAI) has commended the Telangana Government’s recent decision to allow all shops and establishments in the state, excluding liquor shops, to remain open until 1 AM. This measure is seen as a significant step towards enhancing the ease of doing business (EoDB), offering greater flexibility and convenience to consumers while also creating additional employment opportunities.
The Government of Telangana has further confirmed that restaurants will be permitted to operate 24/7 for delivery and takeaway services.
Commenting on this development, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO of the Retailers’ Association of India (RAI) stated, “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 food and beverage industry. It will make the restaurants across the state more vibrant. A vibrant retail environment is critical to the economic growth. We hope the Govt will soon allow all establishments to remain open 24/7 throughout the year.”
The RAI delegation has held multiple meetings with the Telangana Government to implement the state’s 24/7 store opening notification, issued last year. It was noted that, although the notification was effective, local police authorities often failed to recognise it, resulting in businesses being compelled to close early.
RAI has been actively engaging with various state governments to promote the ease of doing business and has been advocating for the adoption of State Retail Trade Policies that would permit retailers to operate around the clock, similar to policies in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. With retail in India projected to reach 2 trillion USD by 2032, the sector remains one of the nation’s largest industries, contributing over 10 per cent to the GDP.
