Financial Express
Sep 30, 2005
Shabana Hussain
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CHENNAI, SEPT 29: The booming retail industry is poised to face a shortage of skilled professionals on the lines of sectors like IT, BPO and airlines, especially once the government opens retail trade for foreign players.
While, there are no official estimates on the shortage of skilled professionals for retail now, industry players agree that a shortage is inevitable. The retail business in the country is, at present, worth around $180 billion, and this is expected to grow 10 times over the next 10 years. Considering the growth, it is natural that the demand for retail professionals will grow faster than supply.
Hemalatha Rajan, director of Chennai-based placement agency Ma Foi, told FE, " A shortage in manpower due to large-scale demands will hinder the growth of the retail sector."
The retail industry, however, has already initiated measures to have access to a large pool of professionals even before FDI comes in. While a few retail players have decided to start captive training centres, copy cat versions of IT, BPO and airline training institutes for retail trade have already started sprouting across the country.
The retail course certified by City and Guilds and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will be a five-month course.
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