Globalization in Retail Culture: FDI in Retail, Opportunities, Challenges to Democratic Element in India

India is a democratic country where everyone is free to choose his/her livelihood sources. Retail is field which has been chosen by very large number of people (more than one retailer for every hundred people) in India for their livelihood. And most of the retail trade in India is forced, unorganized and fragmented. Certain bad effects of this fragmentation are there to the democratic element in India and there is need of fragmentation. Efforts are being made to convert this unorganized market to organized one by the Government especially by allowing FDI. With the livelihoods of small traders and hawkers in threat due to the corporate entry in retail the resistance against the later is growing in almost every part of the country. Up to what extent this FDI poses threat to the existing unorganized retail culture and what are the various opportunities available to the democratic element in India, masses and other bodies? Whether the problem of unemployment can be solved with the FDI in retail trade? What efforts Government will take to give jobs to the unemployed masses if this unemployment happens because of the FDI? These are the questions the answer of which lies in the following discussion.