Sahara India Pariwar is set to open one lakh consumer merchandise franchisee retail outlets across the country within the next couple of years.
The outlets will be opened in stages starting from Rajasthan by March this year, and expand the network to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand by June-July. The entire retail network across the country is slated to become operational by March next year, according to Mr Subrata Roy, Chairman of the group.
Mr Roy, who was here to deliver a speech as part of a lecture series being organised by the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K), said the emphasis would be on the quality of the products being sold through the outlets and there would be elaborate arrangements to test the quality of the products. There had been reports about widespread adulteration of products, especially of food products, available in the market and the group would take it as a challenge to supply only high-quality products through its outlets, he noted.
He said a total investment of between Rs 15,000-20,000 crore would have to be made for procurement of the range of products planned to be showcased at the outlets. The venture was expected to log a turnover of around Rs 6,000 crore in the first year of operations.
The group also plans to manufacture computer tablets. According to provisional estimates, tablets of seven inches size will be priced at about Rs 5,000 a piece and that of eight inches at Rs 9,000.
The products will be initially made available to the employees of the group and later launched in the market.
Mr Roy also announced the group's plans to enter the education sector through the medium of television using the latest technology.
The homes will be converted into virtual classrooms and would be ensured that the classes were conducted by the best faculty available. There would be facilities for interactive sessions as well, he added.