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Wal-Mart continues lobbying in US for India entry - The Times of India
WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: Amid a
probe being initiated into Wal-
Mart's US lobbying with regard to
its India entry, the global retail
giant has continued to lobby
with the American lawmakers on this issue, as also others, and
spent a total amount of $6.13
million on the same during 2012. As per the latest Congressional
records of lobbying disclosure
reports, the US-based Wal-Mart
Stores spent a total amount of $1.48 million (about Rs 8 crore) on lobbying for
various issues, including on "discussions related
to FDI in India", during the last quarter ended
December 31, 2012. This has taken the total lobbying bill of the
company for entire 2012 to $6.13 million (about
Rs 33 crore), the lobbying disclosure records
available with the US Senate show. Wal-Mart has been lobbying with the US
lawmakers on dozens of issues every quarter,
whose disclosures it is mandatorily required to
make under the American regulations. Recently, the Indian government initiated a probe
into the lobbying activities by Wal-Mart in the US
for gaining access to Indian market, after
disclosures about these activities caused a furore
and a political debate in India. The company has, however, maintained that
these disclosures have nothing to do with
political or governmental contacts with India
government officials and they only show that
Wal-Mart's business interest in India was
discussed with the US government officials along with many more other topics. Wal-Mart has been waiting for years to open its
supermarkets in India and it has been lobbying
with the US lawmakers since at least 2008 to
facilitate its entry into the highly lucrative Indian
market. Its total bill on these activities has now crossed
$34 million (about Rs 180 crore) since 2008,
which has been incurred on account of lobbying
for more than 50 issues every quarter, including
the issues related to "enhanced market access for
investment in India". However, the amount spent by Wal-Mart in last
quarter was lower than $1.65 million incurred in
the previous three- month period ended
September 30, 2012, when also one of its
lobbying issues was "discussions related to FDI in
India". Its annual lobbying bill also fell to $6.13 million in
2012, from $7.84 million in 2011. Prior to that, it
had spent $6.16 million in 2010, $7.39 million in
2009 and $6.59 million in 2008. Wal-Mart has lobbied for its various business
interests with the US Senate, the US House of
Representatives, the US Trade Representative
(USTR) and the US department of state, among
other organisations and departments. 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. As per Wal-Mart's lobbying disclosure reports, the
company has continuously lobbied for its India
entry since 2008, except for a few quarters in
2009. Indian government recently opened up its multi-
brand retail sector for foreign companies after
years of political opposition and a Parliament
motion against this decision was defeated last
week in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The US-based supermarket chain operator Wal-
Mart Stores, which has an annual turnover of
$444 billion and a world- wide headcount of 2.2
million, has been waiting for a long time to enter
India. The Indian retail market is estimated to be worth
about USD 500 billion currently and is pegged to
cross $one trillion mark by 2020, given the rising
personal income and growing consumer
spending trends. India is one of the most favourable destinations
for international retailers and an accelerated retail
growth of 15-20 per cent is expected over the
next five years.
WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: Amid a
probe being initiated into Wal-
Mart's US lobbying with regard to
its India entry, the global retail
giant has continued to lobby
with the American lawmakers on this issue, as also others, and
spent a total amount of $6.13
million on the same during 2012. As per the latest Congressional
records of lobbying disclosure
reports, the US-based Wal-Mart
Stores spent a total amount of $1.48 million (about Rs 8 crore) on lobbying for
various issues, including on "discussions related
to FDI in India", during the last quarter ended
December 31, 2012. This has taken the total lobbying bill of the
company for entire 2012 to $6.13 million (about
Rs 33 crore), the lobbying disclosure records
available with the US Senate show. Wal-Mart has been lobbying with the US
lawmakers on dozens of issues every quarter,
whose disclosures it is mandatorily required to
make under the American regulations. Recently, the Indian government initiated a probe
into the lobbying activities by Wal-Mart in the US
for gaining access to Indian market, after
disclosures about these activities caused a furore
and a political debate in India. The company has, however, maintained that
these disclosures have nothing to do with
political or governmental contacts with India
government officials and they only show that
Wal-Mart's business interest in India was
discussed with the US government officials along with many more other topics. Wal-Mart has been waiting for years to open its
supermarkets in India and it has been lobbying
with the US lawmakers since at least 2008 to
facilitate its entry into the highly lucrative Indian
market. Its total bill on these activities has now crossed
$34 million (about Rs 180 crore) since 2008,
which has been incurred on account of lobbying
for more than 50 issues every quarter, including
the issues related to "enhanced market access for
investment in India". However, the amount spent by Wal-Mart in last
quarter was lower than $1.65 million incurred in
the previous three- month period ended
September 30, 2012, when also one of its
lobbying issues was "discussions related to FDI in
India". Its annual lobbying bill also fell to $6.13 million in
2012, from $7.84 million in 2011. Prior to that, it
had spent $6.16 million in 2010, $7.39 million in
2009 and $6.59 million in 2008. Wal-Mart has lobbied for its various business
interests with the US Senate, the US House of
Representatives, the US Trade Representative
(USTR) and the US department of state, among
other organisations and departments. 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. As per Wal-Mart's lobbying disclosure reports, the
company has continuously lobbied for its India
entry since 2008, except for a few quarters in
2009. Indian government recently opened up its multi-
brand retail sector for foreign companies after
years of political opposition and a Parliament
motion against this decision was defeated last
week in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The US-based supermarket chain operator Wal-
Mart Stores, which has an annual turnover of
$444 billion and a world- wide headcount of 2.2
million, has been waiting for a long time to enter
India. The Indian retail market is estimated to be worth
about USD 500 billion currently and is pegged to
cross $one trillion mark by 2020, given the rising
personal income and growing consumer
spending trends. India is one of the most favourable destinations
for international retailers and an accelerated retail
growth of 15-20 per cent is expected over the
next five years.
