Ahead of 2024 general elections, Modi govt has a plan for India’s small retailers

The Indian government may offer low-cost credit to small retailers and ease some rules governing the sector, two officials said, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi moves to shore up a large voter base that is losing business to e-commerce giants.

The proposal, which could be announced next month in the last full budget before the 2024 general election, aims to revive growth in the smaller physical retail sector which has been hit by the entry of companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, Tata Group-backed BigBasket and Reliance Industries.