Global retail giant Walmart — waiting for years to open its
supermarkets in India — has been lobbying with the US lawmakers since 2008 to
facilitate its entry into the Indian market.
As per the lobbying disclosure reports filed by Walmart with the US Senate,
the company has spent close to $25 million (about Rs 125 crore) since 2008 on
its various lobbying activities, including on the issues related to “enhanced
market access for investment in India”.
The retail giant spent $1.65 million on various lobbying issues in the last
quarter (that ended on September 30 itself), which included “discussions
related to FDI in India”.
During the quarter, Walmart lobbied for its case with the US Senate, the US
House of Representatives, the US Trade Representative and the US Department of
State, as per its latest quarterly disclosure report.
The companies are allowed to lobby for their cases in various departments and
agencies in the US, but they are required to file their lobbying disclosure
reports every quarter with the US Senate.
So far in 2012, Walmart has spent more than $3 million on its various
lobbying activities, including those related to India. As per its disclosure
reports, the company has continuously lobbied for its India entry since 2008,
except for a few quarters in 2009.
The Indian retail market is estimated to be worth about $500 billion
currently and is pegged to cross $1 trillion mark by 2020, given the rising
personal income.
Emerging story. Watch this space for updates as more details come in