New Delhi: US retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Tuesday announced it would open 50 wholesale stores in four to five years and establish an e-commerce platform in India, reiterating its desire to tap and its commitment to the next great frontier for big retail even as it sought to sidestep the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) opposition to foreign investment in supermarkets.

The BJP, the frontrunner to win the national election, in its poll manifesto that it released on Monday declared it would bar foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail if it forms the next government.

Wal-Mart’s plans, of course, are for the wholesale segment.

The world’s largest supermarket chain said that apart from building cash-and-carry stores under the ‘Best Price Modern Wholesale’ brand, of which it has 20 stores in the country, Wal-Mart India Pvt. Ltd would invest in extending its business-to-business e-commerce platform to its store members.

India allows 100% FDI in business-to-business or wholesale retail operations, both off-line and online. These are typically large stores that allow bulk purchases at discounts for small traders or stores.

The format is “poised to grow in India and we would like to serve the growing customer base by opening 50 new cash and carry stores over the next four-five years and extend the e-commerce platform to our cash and carry members with a virtual shopping opportunity, Scott Price, president and chief executive, Wal-Mart Asia, said in a statement.

He added that Wal-Mart was taking a number of “important steps" to strengthen compliance.

In 2012, top executives at the company came under the scanner after alleged claims of violation of the US’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act surfaced.

Last year, the American retailer decided to part ways with its joint venture partner Bharti Retail over issues pertaining to clarity in policy and business operations.

India’s cash and carry segment has seen a flurry of activity in recent years with global retailers such as Carrefour SA building significant infrastructure to open large cash and carry stores in anticipation of the country opening up its supermarket segment to foreign investment.

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