Cashing out of Asia

The German group has been completely focused on its European operations at a time when there have been quite a few setbacks

Metro Cash & Carry — in the news for a potential sale and a possible exit from India—has not only been the first multinational to set up organised wholesale stores in the country but also the only one to have followed its original business plan.

Dusseldorf-headquartered Metro AG is a leading international wholesale company focused on serving the needs of hotels, restaurants and caterers (popularly known as the HoReCa segment), besides independent traders. So when the German major opened its first store in India in 2003, it didn’t have to tweak its global business model or its plan for the country