Singapore’s ETP expands in India and Asia Pacific
The Indian retail sector is expected to grow at over 10 per cent in the next five years as retailers sets up stores in small towns, especially in Tier3 and 4 cities, says an industry stalwart at a global retail businesses exhibition and conference held in Singapore this week.
“The retail sector growth could grow at over 10 per cent in the next five years as retailers set up stores and delivery capability in small towns, especially Tier-3 & 4 cities,” said Naresh Ahuja, Chairman and CEO of ETP International said at the National Retail Federation (NRF’26) held 2-4 June.
Ahuja’s reading of India’s retail sector was in line with general projections as industry experts sees it double to USD1.93 trillion by 2030, growing at a 10 per cent CAGR. This strong momentum is anchored by a deep home market that acts as a buffer against global trade volatility, according to a Deloitte-FICCI report in August last year.
Citing high growth potential, Ahuja’s Singapore-based AI-SaaS Retail technology group ETP International is expanding in India. He noted increasing demand from consumer spending and new shopping malls sprouting across the country, reaching market in Tier-3 & 4 cities.
“We are expanding rapidly in India as retail in the country is getting matured while new shopping centres and malls are supported by infrastructure and online-savvy consumers,” he said.
The tech-industry veteran of four-decade is confident the digitized retail business will continue to grow at “stronger double-digit rates” and has the potential of doubling next 5-6 years, said Ahuja, who has existed three scaled businesses from startup-stage while working in Mumbai till the late 1990s.
He rates India among the top three client bases for ETP’s retail and e-commerce AI-based solutions that are tailor-made for clients of multinational standing. ETP solutions are for clients with retail stores and outlets running into thousands in the Asia Pacific markets. “We are helping retailers simplify operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences with smart, integrated solutions,” he explained. Other than our flagship ETP Unify retail Platform, we have launched Ordazzle — an AI-powered platform built to automate and accelerate your e-Commerce operations.
“Our AI-based software serves across the retail ecosystem especially time-sensitive deliveries as consumers calling for “fast-commerce” through online orders,” said Ahuja, who has opened offices in Bengaluru and Delhi in recent months and employs 300 engineers in India.
Furthermore, close to 200-strong marketing teams are spread across Asia. “We are in India, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines Malaysia and are just opening offices in Thailand and South Korea,” he said, adding that Japan is the company’s next expansion market.
He observed that suppliers and retailers are under pressure to make fast deliveries as an increasing number of IT-savvy consumers are placing online orders, cutting off the need to spend hours going shopping through heavy vehicular traffic in India.
As such, ETP solutions are tailor-made to each market, taking into consideration consumer-led trends and marketing traditions as well as service cultures, underlined Ahuja, who believes in serving demand of an average man on the street. “Markets are changing fast, and we are continuously working on technologies that benefits businesses and end-users,” he said.
Meanwhile, NRF’26 organisers said 9,000 registrants from more than 70 countries attended the three-day event. Over 260 exhibitors and conference speakers, and 2,500 leading retail brands, participated in the show, reinforcing Singapore’s position as the gateway to APAC’s rapidly evolving retail economy.
NRF 2026 APAC also featured a record-breaking 20 new product and technology launches, underscoring NRF APAC’s growing role as a launchpad for innovation in the region.
Under this year’s theme “The Next Now”, NRF 2026 APAC explored how retailers are navigating one of the most significant periods of transformation the industry has ever experienced: from AI-driven customer experiences and intelligent supply chains to immersive commerce, robotics, data analytics, and the future of connected retail.
“NRF APAC has become one of the defining platforms shaping the future of APAC retail,” said Ryf Quail, Managing Director for NRF: Retail’s Big Show APAC and Middle East. “What has transpired over recent editions is the emergence of NRF APAC as the meeting point for retailers and industry leaders who want to do business in APAC. The incredible momentum and energy we have witnessed this year is a celebration of the region’s retailers, innovators and partners. From visionary ideas to real-world solutions, NRF APAC continues to inspire the industry to think bigger, move faster and prepare for what comes next.
“Retailers in APAC are no longer asking if they should use AI, but how fast they can scale it. The real challenge today isn’t running a pilot – it’s driving production-grade AI across the entire value chain to achieve real business value,” said Anil Jain, Global Managing Director – Strategic Industries, Google Cloud. “As a Diamond Sponsor at NRF APAC, we are proud to showcase how Google Cloud is helping the region’s leading retailers move past experimentation. From optimising supply chains to creating hyper-personalised consumer experiences, we are uniquely positioned to help retailers deploy enterprise-ready AI that transforms their operations from the ground up.” Fiinews.com
