In an effort to boost India’s retail industry and improve ‘ease of doing business’, the Modi government has cleared the Model Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Act 2015. This will allow public establishments with at least 10 employees such as restaurants, local markets, shopping malls and movie theaters to operate 24×7.
To come into effect, the “model” Act will need to be signed into law by individual states, and once this is done, offline retailers will stand to benefit since they will on par with online retailers who operate round the clock. Competition between physical and virtual players will increase, but consumers and the labor work force will benefit.
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh unveiled their new retail trade policies, based on this Act, earlier this year. The states of Telangana, Rajasthan and many others are expected to announce their respective policies this year.
The retail sector accounts for about 15 percent of the country’s GDP and this is expected to increase further with round the clock operations, reports JLL.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
