MAM
Global experts advise Indian retail industry to ‘lead change’
NEW DELHI: On the second day of the KSA Retail Summit, global experts advised the Indian retail industry to ‘lead change.’ The Indian customers today look for solutions rather than products; and customisation and personalisation rather than generalization. They have an expanding spending basket and are reassigning spends. In such a scenario, brands and retailers in India have to be creative to attract the rapidly evolving Indian customers and build a profitable business.
The second day saw leading international and Indian retailers sharing their experience and thoughts on this challenging new prospect.
Talking on ‘Spotting Winning Concepts’, KSA Technopak, India chairman Arvind Singhal said, “Indian retailers today need to invest heavily in understanding the emerging needs of the evolving Indian customer. There has to be a mind shift towards offering innovative and time/cost effective ‘solutions’ that go beyond retail formats.”
Singhal elaborated that the Indian customer can be segmented into five genres, which are also rapidly evolving:
a) Demography: Rapidly evolving market for retail concepts that cater to tween/ teen demands and women/ infant needs,
b) Trading up/trade down: Retailers need to aggressively tap rising lifestyle spends on mobile phones, cars, etc while insuring themselves against a trade down that will affect regular spends on grocery, eating out, apparel, etc.,
c) Ethnicity: The celebration of cultural diversity in money terms. Customers will seek out authentic and ethnic experiences e.g. The popularity of Dilli Haat as a mini India;
d) Time starvation: Need for products that ‘do the rest’ for time starved consumers
e) Around my needs: Big potential for hot retail concepts that micro target i.e. provide products and experiences that are customized to suit specific tastes and preferences.
Addressing a question from the audience on whether the entry of foreign players will hurt the domestic market, Esprit, Asia regional director Peter Hammond said, “The entry of international brands will positively impact the market by helping increase the size of the retail pie. International brands are looking at creating new customers and won’t eat into the existing customer base of the domestic players.”
Ethan Allen, USA chairman, president and CEO Farooq Kathwari emphasized that the rules of retailing need to be written continually for delighting the consumer. He emphasized that change should be seen as an opportunity to realize greater potential.
Brands
Sun Pharma to acquire Organon in $11.75 billion deal at $14 per share
Acquisition to create $12.4 billion pharma giant with global scale and biosimilars push
MUMBAI: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Organon & Co. in an all-cash deal valued at $11.75 billion, marking one of the largest cross-border pharma acquisitions by an Indian firm.
Under the terms of the agreement, Organon shareholders will receive $14.00 per share in cash, with Sun Pharma set to acquire 100 per cent of the company’s outstanding shares. The transaction, approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and shareholder consent.
The deal significantly expands Sun Pharma’s global footprint and strengthens its position across women’s health, biosimilars, and branded generics. The combined entity is projected to generate revenues of around $12.4 billion, placing it among the top 25 pharmaceutical companies globally.
Organon, which was spun off from Merck in 2021, brings a portfolio of over 70 products spanning women’s health and general medicines, with operations across more than 140 countries. Its established presence in key markets such as the US, Europe, and China complements Sun Pharma’s existing strengths and growth ambitions.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited executive chairman Dilip Shanghvi said, “This transaction represents a significant opportunity for Sun Pharma to build on its vision of reaching people and touching lives. Organon’s portfolio, capabilities and global reach are highly complementary to our own.”
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited managing director Kirti Ganorkar added, “This transaction is a logical next step in strengthening Sun Pharma’s global business. Together, we will become a partner of choice for acquiring and launching new products.”
From Organon’s side, Organon & Co. executive chair Carrie Cox noted, “This all-cash transaction offers compelling and immediate value to Organon stockholders, while positioning the business for continued growth under Sun Pharma.”
Strategically, the acquisition gives Sun Pharma entry into the global biosimilars space as a top 10 player and strengthens its innovative medicines portfolio, which is expected to contribute around 27 per cent of combined revenues. The deal is also expected to nearly double EBITDA and cash flow, supporting long-term deleveraging and investment capacity.
Sun Pharma plans to fund the acquisition through a mix of internal accruals and committed financing from global banks, while maintaining focus on disciplined integration and operational continuity post-merger.
If completed as planned, the deal signals a clear shift in India’s pharmaceutical ambitions, from scale at home to leadership on the global stage, with Sun Pharma positioning itself as a more diversified and innovation-led healthcare powerhouse.
