Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided to introduce its retail ventures into India. It has entered into a pact with Bharti Enterprises Ltd. Abiding by Indian laws, which do not allow foreign retailers to sell directly to Indian consumers, all stores would be referred to as Bharti Enterprises Ltd., with Wal-Mart providing wholesale and back-end support.

The first front-end retail store will be set up in India, by August 2007 and will sell directly to consumers. The first wholesale cash-and-carry facility will begin in India by December, followed by two or three such stores in 2009. On a bigger scale, Wal-Mart will open 10 to 15 such stores, each over 50,000 to 100,000 sq ft., area, within the next seven years.