New Delhi, April 14, 2025: As India’s retail market is expected to reach USD 2 trillion by 2035 (Source: Kearney Global Retail Development Index), Mapic India Shopping Centre Summit – Maha Kumbh of Retail will unite the leaders in retail, real estate, and technology on April 15, 2025, at the JW Marriott Hotel, Aerocity, New Delhi. The event will encapsulate the theme “Next-Gen Retail: Navigating Disruption, Seizing Opportunities,” leveraging the advantage of an exclusive value proposition, intertwining human experience, advanced technology, and customer confidence to garner interest in today’s fast-moving world of immediate satisfaction. A friendly T20 cricket match between India’s top Retailers and Developers will kick off the event on April 16th.

With a booming consumption economy, the problem is not demand but differentiation in the midst of a deluge of new brands, malls and store formats that are fast fragmenting the marketplace. The pie needs to focus on the most recent strategies for innovation, digital transformation and sustainable growth, with insightful inputs to steer through the fast-changing Indian retail environment. With the shopping habits shifting rapidly, technology and ease of use are now the prime drivers. AI and new-age technologies are revolutionizing experiences, while the “real Bharat”—Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities—proves to be a goldmine of opportunity, where there lies massive, untapped potential for growth.

Key Speakers who will be sharing their insights in the event include Pushpa Bector, Senior Executive Director and Business Head, DLF Retail; Bijit Nair, Senior Director – Direct to Consumer (DTC), Adidas; Arjun Singh Gehlot, Director, Ambience Group; Shibu Philips, Director, Shopping Malls LULU Group; Pramod Arora, CEO, PVR INOX Limited; Harsh Bansal, Co-Founder, Unity Group and Vegas Mall; Dr Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi, Founder & Chairperson, NAREDCO Mahi (Under the aegis of Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs); Samim Sekh, Deputy Chief Architect, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC); Abbas Jabalpurwala, CEO, Timezone India; Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Malls and more.

As the retail industry is being transformed at a breakneck pace by new technologies, changing consumer tastes, and sustainability needs, Mapic India Shopping Centre Event will seek to address the urgent forces remaking the industry’s future. This year’s agenda will delve into the redefinition of retail environments, with a focus on blended environments that enrich customer experiences through next-gen malls, omnichannel retailing models, and customer engagement enabled by AI. Particular focus will be placed on the increasing importance of sustainability in retail real estate, with debate on how green building techniques, energy efficiency, and sustainable development are becoming the focal point of the industry’s transformation.

Mr. Umang Gupta, RX India Country General Manager, stated, “With the fast-changing dynamics of Indian Retail & Real estate sectors, the only way to flourish and capture the mind of the Indian consumer is to grasp the ‘New Retail Code’ .

Mapic India Shopping Centre Event 2025 is the industry’s forum to address key opportunities, trends and transformations offering solutions to exponentially grow your business investments. With increased international participation from prominent global retail and technology brands, this year’s event is focused on Indian startups and D2C innovators. ‘Differentiation’ in a highly competitive market like India is the only survival code.

Mapic India Shopping Centre Event 2025 continues to be the flagship forum and the ‘Mahakumbh’ or melting pot of Retail industry players, with the opportunity to build networks, forge business ideas & innovations that will shape the future of retail and build global retail brands coming from India.”

Speaking about the event, Ashna Gemini Sharan, Portfolio Director, RX India said “In the ever-evolving landscape of retail, characterized by the rise of e-commerce, shifting consumer behaviours and technological advancements, there exists an unprecedented opportunity for retailers in the coming decade. Anyone looking to tap into India’s immense retail potential and contribute to a future driven by innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth should consider attending this event. The Mapic India Shopping Centre Summit and Awards will serve as a platform for participants to explore the critical strategies and innovative approaches required to unlock this immense potential and thrive in the dynamic retail environment of the future.”

Mumbai, 14 April 2025: Affordable housing took a major hit post-pandemic as buyers in this segment adopted a cautious approach, with new supply and sales plummeting in recent years. But latest ANAROCK research highlights a promising trend – unsold inventory in the affordable housing segment (<INR 40 lakh) fell by 19% across the top 7 cities in the past year, from 1.40 lakh units (Q1 2024-end) to 1.13 lakh units (Q1 2025-end).

Meanwhile, luxury housing (>INR 1.5 Cr) saw a 24% surge in unsold stock, rising from 91,125 units (Q1 2024-end) to over 1.13 lakh units (Q1 2025-end), fuelled by robust demand and new supply.

City-wise, Bengaluru led the affordable category recovery with a sharp 51% drop in unsold stock, followed by Chennai’s 44% decline. Hyderabad was the only city to witness a 9% surge in its affordable housing stock in the period – to approx. 1,815 units by Q1 2025-end.

Anuj Puri, Chairman – ANAROCK Group, says, “Affordable housing faced the sharpest pandemic fallout, with sales and new launches shrinking in the top 7 cities. ANAROCK data shows that affordable housing sales share plummeted from 38% in 2019 to 18% in 2024, while its supply share dropped from 40% to 16% in the same period. However, a 19% dip in unsold stock hints at sustained demand led by end-users.”

“In contrast, luxury housing soared, with its sales share rising from 7% in 2019 to 26% in 2024, and new supply share doubling from 11% to 26%,” says Puri. “Nevertheless, the segment saw unsold inventory pile up due to increased supply and cautious investor sentiment amid the ongoing global economic uncertainty. Our data shows that unsold stock of luxury housing – units priced over INR 1.5 Cr – rose 24% annually from about 91,125 units by Q1 2024-end to over 1.13 lakh units by Q1 2025-end.”

Among the top 7 cities, Chennai and Pune were the only cities to see their unsold luxury stock decline in the period, by 4% and 11%, respectively. While Chennai’s current unsold luxury stock is at 2,453 units, Pune’s is at 3,668 units. NCR, MMR, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru also saw their unsold luxury stock rise.

“The build-up of stock in luxury housing, which has been the top-performing segment in the past 2-3 years, is largely due to significant supply additions in the last one to two years,” says Puri.

City-wise Dynamics

As of Q1 2025-end, a cumulative total of approx. 5,59,808 units are unsold across the top 7 cities. Of this, approx. 1,12,744 units fall in the affordable housing category; the luxury segment has approx. 1,13,193 unsold units. Together, each of these two segments account for almost 20% of the total unsold stock.

• In MMR, unsold affordable housing stock declined 11% between Q1 2024 and Q1 2025, while luxury stock rose by 6% in the period
• NCR saw a 22% decline in its unsold affordable stock, while luxury stock swelled by over 78%
• Bengaluru saw its affordable stock decline by 51% and its luxury stock rise by 57% in the period
• Chennai saw an over 44% yearly decline in unsold affordable stock and a 4% reduction in luxury stock
• Pune saw an almost 28% annual dip in its unsold affordable stock, and a 11% decline in luxury stock
• In Kolkata, unsold affordable housing stock declined by 20%, while luxury stock rose by 96%
• Hyderabad was the only city to see its unsold affordable stock jump by 9%, while its luxury stock increased by 6%

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 11, 2025: His Excellency Bandar Al-Khorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources in Saudi Arabia, is currently preparing to visit Indonesia and all eyes are on the flourishing relationship between the two nations.

Saudi Arabia has long recognized Indonesia as a key partner in Southeast Asia, and the upcoming visit by a high-level delegation led by His Excellency Bandar AlKhorayef is expected to further cement cooperation in industry &  mining sectors. Indonesia is a key trading partner for Saudi Arabia with bilateral trade reaching more than USD 6 billion in 2023.

The visit underscores the growing strategic and economic cooperation between the two nations, particularly in the areas of mining and key strategic industrial sectors including pharmaceuticals, food industry, and automotive.

Indonesia has emerged as a vital economic and geopolitical partner for Saudi Arabia in Southeast Asia. In 2023, bilateral trade between the two countries exceeded USD6 billion, reflecting a strong foundation of mutual interest and an eagerness to deepen engagement across several high-growth sectors.

A major focal point of the upcoming visit will be the strengthening of Saudi-Indonesia collaboration in the mining sector. With Indonesia’s mineral fuel exports valued at USD67 billion and imports reaching USD38 billion in the last fiscal year, the sector offers expansive opportunities for long-term growth.

During the visit, His Excellency will meet with several key officials from the public sector including his counterparts, Indonesia’s Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources, and Minister of Industry of Indonesia. His Excellency will also converse with members of the private sector, including the Director and CEO of PT Vale Febriany Eddy and CEO of BioPharma, Shaqiq Akasya.

Saudi Arabia has already made strategic investments in the country through its private sector, including its stake in Vale Indonesia, a subsidiary of the global mining giant Vale. This partnership highlights the Kingdom’s interest in expanding its footprint in Indonesia’s mining landscape, while supporting the sustainable development of one of the world’s most resource-rich regions.

Vale Indonesia is among the top producers of nickel – an essential component in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Saudi Arabia which is investing heavily in renewable energy and EV technologies as part of its Vision 2030 agenda, could view collaboration in this area as a gateway to securing critical resources for its clean energy transition. As global demand for EVs continues to rise, Saudi Arabia’s investment will help unlock further exploration processing and infrastructure development in Indonesia’s mining sector.

In 2024, Indonesia’s global exports reached USD217 billion, a 1.3% year-on-year increase. Indonesia also has a target of reaching USD405 billion in global exports by 2029.

Saudi Arabia has played a key role in this trajectory, importing more than USD2 billion in goods from Indonesia in 2023, while exporting USD4 billion worth of products to the country.

A notable example of Indonesia’s growing contribution in Saudi Arabia’s food industry is the presence of Indofood, one of Indonesia’s largest consumer goods companies, which has expanded its operations in the Kingdom. Indofood’s instant noodles first emerged on the Saudi market in 1986 and are now widely distributed across Saudi Arabia.

Worthmentioning, the Jeddah Food Cluster, the largest food cluster in the world, represents a key area for potential collaboration. The cluster is positioned as a regional hub for halal food production and distribution, aligning closely with Indonesia’s position as the world’s largest halal market. The Jeddah Food cluster is also strategically located near Saudi Arabia’s key ports that facilitate exports across continents such as Africa, Europe and Asia.

In December 2023, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in halal product assurance and mutual recognition of halal certifications. The agreement aims to harmonize standards and streamline certification processes, reducing trade friction and opening news avenues for Indonesian halal producers to access the Saudi and wider GCC markets.

The visit of His Excellency Bandar Al-Khorayef, marks a new chapter in this relationship, with a focus on innovation, sustainable development and joint ventures in high-impact sectors. Beyond mining and food production, discussions are expected to include renewable energy, infrastructure and the sharing of industrial expertise.

Both countries are committed to leveraging their partnership to create long-term value, not only for their domestic economies but also for regional and global markets. Through increased trade, strategic investment and halal sector collaboration, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are setting the stage of a future of share prosperity and mutual growth.