"I don't see flooding of investment in multi-brand retail," Shankar said, in a lecture on `Role of US in Asia-Pacific', organised by the Observer Research Foundation here last week.
"It (FDI) might be desirable....In retail if it benefits the farmers," Shankar added.
However, Shankar, who served in the United States from 2009 to 2011, said FDI was not successful in sectors like vegetables.