The entry of FDI in India's retail sector is inevitable. However, with the instruments of public policy in its hands, the government can slow down the process. Japan has done this quite effectively. The government can try to ensure that the domestic and foreign players are more or less on an equal footing and that the domestic traders are not at a special disadvantage. The small retailers must be given the opportunity to provide more personalised service, so that their higher costs are not taken advantage of by large supermarkets and hypermarkets.
