RAI RLS 2025: Shaping the Future of Retail and D2C Success

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 03: The Retail Leadership Summit 2025 (RLS 2025), organised by the Retailers Association of India (RAI), successfully brought together the brightest minds in the industry at Hall No. 6, Bombay Exhibition Centre (NESCO), Mumbai on February 27 and 28, 2025. As India’s premier retail event, RLS 2025 served as a dynamic platform for thought leadership, innovation, and collaboration, addressing the evolving landscape of the retail sector.

This year’s summit focused on customer-centricity, value creation, new-age leadership, sustainability, and future paradigms, sparking insightful discussions among industry leaders, policymakers, and technology pioneers. With keynote sessions, expert panels, and knowledge reports from BCG, Deloitte, GPTW, PwC, and Vector, RLS 2025 emphasised the need for innovation, adaptability, and strategic value creation to navigate the future of retail.

Speaking about RLS 2025, Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “Retail is evolving rapidly, and success lies in staying relevant, agile, and consumer-focused. At RLS 2025, we explored how retailers can create real value – by improving format relevance, accelerating new revenue streams, and delivering superior consumer experiences. Technology is redefining the way we work, but at the heart of it, retail is still about understanding and serving consumers better. The industry must embrace AI, personalization, and innovation while staying rooted in trust and collaboration. The future belongs to those who don’t just adapt to change but lead it.”

Key highlights of RLS 2025 were a keynotes and special addresses by Ashwin Khasgiwala, Director, Reliance Brands Ltd. and Chief Business Operations Controller, Reliance Retail Ltd.; Dilip Asbe, Managing Director & CEO, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI); and T. Koshy, MD & CEO, ONDC.

Commenting on the growth and impact of ONDC, T. Koshi, MD and CEO of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), said, “This is an initiative by the Government of India under the Ministry of Commerce, bringing to reality a vision by our Honourable Prime Minister for digital enablement and democratization of commerce. We started about two years ago, and we have had a good run. Last month alone, we completed more than 16 million transactions across grocery, food, mobility, fashion, and more. While we started with mobility, grocery, and food, in the last few months, we have seen other segments emerging. We have also added key building blocks of commerce, such as logistics and credit. Hyper-local logistics on the network has already made a huge difference in grocery and food, and we believe it will be a game-changer for D2C companies and small businesses seeking digital exposure. From zero transactions two years ago to 16 million a month today, we expect a similar growth trajectory in the coming year. Currently, over 71,000 merchants are leveraging ONDC, and we anticipate that number to double by next year. I encourage everyone to take the initiative and join this open network. As the years go by and this becomes the primary mode of digital commerce, you will already have established your presence there.“

Commenting on the growth and impact of UPI and digital payments in India, Dilip Asbe, MD & CE, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) highlighted how the democratization of payments has transformed financial accessibility for both consumers and retailers. “The retailers are the backbone of our country, and I think UPI has been envisaged to serve as this backbone. Before UPI, only the very large and very rich retailers could accept digital payments. People like you and me were given credit cards and debit cards, but small retailers had limited access to digital transactions. With the vision of Prime Minister Modi and the RBI, over the last 10 years, there has been a huge democratization of the payment system, both for consumers and retailers. We must give credit to them for driving such a large-scale, wide digitization process.

Today, it’s so simple to download an app, scan a QR code, and make a payment to anybody—even a tea stall or a vegetable vendor. But behind this ease of use, there has been painstaking effort from the country’s stakeholders, including the government, RBI, and banks, in building such a large-scale infrastructure. The fintech and startup ecosystem played a key role in developing apps and distributing them at a massive scale. I must mention PhonePe, Paytm, Google Pay, BharatPe, and many other fintech players who took charge of last-mile distribution—both for consumers and retailers. As a result, today, even a ₹5 snack, a ₹10 tea, or a ₹10 vada pav can be purchased digitally, showcasing the true impact of this transformation.

Over the next five to ten years, as India’s digital financial services ecosystem continues to evolve, the key focus will be on ensuring that credit reaches every Indian. This is where the government and RBI’s efforts are headed.”

RLS 2025 featured the unveiling of key industry reports, offering valuable insights into the evolving retail landscape. The RAI – BCG report, Winning in Bharat & India: The Retail Kaleidoscope, explored the dual dynamics of India’s retail market and strategic growth opportunities. The RAI – Deloitte report, India’s Discretionary Spend Evolution: A Roadmap for Brands, analyzed changing consumer spending patterns and their impact on retail strategies. The PwC report, Retail Reinvention Paradigm, examined the transformative shifts shaping the future of retail. Additionally, Vector Consultancy report, From Threads to Trends: Navigating Supply Chain Complexity in Apparel Retail, provided a deep dive into optimizing apparel retail supply chains. Furthermore, the Best Retail Workplaces 2025 report by RAI – Great Place to Work was unveiled, recognizing outstanding workplaces in the retail sector.

Sharing his perspective on the challenges in the fashion industry, Kulin Lalbhai, Vice Chairman, Arvind Fashions Ltd., emphasised the importance of product differentiation and customer value. He stated, “One of the biggest challenges in our business is that if you are just copying each other, you are not really creating customer love. If that happens, the customer can shop from anybody, and the only power you are giving them is based on price. I think that’s the slippery slope this business is going down. If you can’t truly hold value with the customer, then you’re only fighting on price. I truly believe the fashion business is all about the product, everything else is just embellishment. If you don’t get the product right, no matter how good your business model is, you are going to fall flat on your face.”

Sharing his insights on the evolving growth trends in the kitchen appliances industry, Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, MD & CEO, TTK Prestige, highlighted the resurgence in demand driven by innovation and premiumisation. He stated, “The category saw accelerated growth during COVID, followed by a period of muted growth. Of late, we’ve seen demand come back driven by innovative products and the premiumization trend in urban markets. The retail segment appears to be the harbinger of this growth, with our retail performance remaining very robust. We believe this bodes well for the category, and we hope RLS showcases both the current momentum and the potential for future growth.”

Sharing his insights on the evolving retail landscape, Sankar Chatterjee, CEO, Decathlon India, emphasised the growing significance of OmniCommerce and the changing channel mix in consumer purchasing behavior. He stated, “OmniCommerce is one of the key channels, and we believe our channel mix is changing with time, it will keep changing. Ultimately, it is the customer who decides where they want to buy. The choice between online and offline often depends on the product category, but I believe offline retail will become more experiential rather than just transactional. At the same time, online can also deliver experiences—whether through seamless payments, virtual reality, or influencer-led brand storytelling. The shift in consumer behaviour started even before COVID, and the pandemic only accelerated digital adoption. Moving forward, the future lies in a hybrid strategy that blends the physical and digital, aligning with what customers seek in their long-term relationship with a brand.”

Emphasising the growing demand for convenience and sustainability, Rajesh Jain, MD & CEO, Lacoste India, said, “I look at industry trends, specifically customer trends, because customer trends would define the industry trends, customers are looking for more convenience and products which are socially sustainable or environment friendly. These two trends are likely to stay for a very long time in my view. As for the industry outlook, while there are currently ups and downs, retailers mostly are optimistic by nature, and so am. I believe that after maybe a year or so the industry is likely to pick up very fast. Although we, as a brand, are doing wonderfully well even today, but the industry as a whole, I am confident that the industry as a whole will see strong growth in the near future.”

RLS 2025 also introduced an exciting new addition, the Fashion Showcase at Fashion Arena 2025 presented by Myntra. This dynamic platform celebrating style, creativity, and innovation in the retail fashion space. The showcase featured exclusive collection launches from leading and emerging brands, captivating runway shows, and immersive brand experiences, making it a standout feature of the summit.

Additionally, the second day of RLS 2025 featured deep dives into key industry themes, including Retail Real Estate, D2C Growth, Store Design Innovation. Discussions on Retail Real Estate highlighted the shift from traditional brick-and-mortar to experiential spaces that enhance customer engagement. The D2C Summit brought together leading brands to explore strategies for building direct consumer relationships and brand loyalty in a digital-first world.

Meanwhile, the Retail Store Design Summit showcased how innovative layouts and immersive experiences are redefining physical retail. Attendees further gained first-hand insights through the Retail Study Tour, which provided an exclusive look into India’s most innovative retail businesses, offering real-world inspiration for the future of the sector. Parallel to RLS 2025, the Retail HR Tech Summit 2025 explored innovations in HR technology, workforce management, and talent development in retail.

RLS 2025 also included the grand felicitation of the crème de la crème of the retail industry with India’s Retail Champions Award 2025 and the Retail Start-up Awards 2025, both evaluated by eminent personalities from the industry as the Jury.

Winners of India’s Retail Champions Awards 2025 were:

Over the 2 days, RLS 2025 saw participation of retail leaders, as well as top names in the retail service provider space. Retail stalwarts speaking at the summit included Abhishek Bajpai – Apparel Group India; Amitabh Suri – USPA; Anuj Singh –  Spencer’s Retail; Arun Neelakantan- Hindustan Unilever; BS Nagesh, Founder TRRAIN & Chairman Shoppers Stop; Damodar Mall – Reliance Retail; Dalip Sehgal – Nexus Malls India; Gopal Asthana- Tata CLiQ; Hari Menon – Bigbasket; Jasmit Tibb – Tibb’s Food; Kavindra Mishra – Shoppers Stop; Kulin Lalbhai – Arvind; Manish Kapoor – Pepe Jeans India; Meghna Apparao – Meta India; Mohit Malhotra – Dabur India; P Jayakumar – Apollo Pharmacy; P Venkatesalu – Trent; Pushpa Bector – DLF Retail Malls; Rajesh Jain – Lacoste India; Rajneesh Mahajan – Inorbit (I) Malls; Sagar Daryani- Momo Foods; Shibu Philips – Shopping Malls, Lulu Group India; Siddharath Bindra – BIBA Apparels; Subhash Chandra L- Sangeetha Mobiles; Suparna Mitra – Watches and Wearables Division, Titan Company; Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan – TTK Prestige; Venu Nair – Myntra; and Vipul Chaturvedi – Lakme Lever, among many others.

RLS 2025 highlighted that the future of retail lies in innovation, adaptability, and seamless consumer experiences. As technology, sustainability, and customer expectations evolve, retailers must go beyond transactions to build deeper connections and immersive experiences. The summit fostered strategic collaborations and fresh insights, paving the way for a more dynamic, resilient, and consumer-driven retail future.

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