The German retailer’s plan could take nearly six weeks to execute.
Moneycontrol News
Wholesale retailer Metro Cash and Carry will help the government form a plan to bring urban street vendors into the organised sector.
The German retailer has already created a team to prepare a proposal, and the plan could take nearly six weeks to execute.
“A lot of India’s pushcart vendors do not operate with a valid business licence. The proposal has come from the government and they want us to think of the kind of licences that can be given to this sector,” said Arvind Mediratta, the managing director of Metro Cash & Carry India.
The majority of the 10 million street vendors in India typically operate without licenses.
Mediratta met officials from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) two weeks ago for a preliminary discussion, according to a report by The Economic Times.
“Our proposal will deliberate recommendations like approving valid applications for weights and measurements licence and Gumasta licence (mandatory licence required for opening a shop) within a stipulated time and increasing their validity from one year to five to 10 years for their ease of business,” Mediratta said, as quoted by the paper.
The government’s initiative will also help the service providers who operate their business informally, such as plumbers, carpenters and beauticians, according to the paper.
The wholesaler, which has been in India for about 16 years, sells products through a membership model to kiranas, local stores, hotels and catering companies.
Metro Cash & Carry operates 27 distribution centres across India under the METRO Wholesale brand.
