Lulu's 4,000-cr Ahmedabad mall, India's largest, to create 3,000 jobs

MA Yusuff Ali,  the head of the Lulu Group International, is happy about the UAE-based retailer's plans to invest in India. Lulu Group is set to build what is being billed as `India's largest shopping mall' in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Expressing joy at investing in India, Yusuff Ali told the news agency ANI that he is "very happy to give employment to his fellow citizens (Indians)". He added that the company is receiving "full support" from the Centre and ministries.

Ahmedabad project

"India's biggest shopping mall is in Ahmedabad. We already got the land. I am getting full support from the central government, the Ministry of Commerce, and all the ministries of the central government," he said.

"This is one of the biggest projects that we (have in India). It is about 3,50,000 sq ft. and 3,000 young boys and girls (will be) working here. I am very happy to give employment to my fellow citizens," Mr Ali added.

The mall will be built at an estimated cost of ₹4,000 crore, and in an earlier interaction, Mr Ali had said construction was expected to begin this year. Lulu, at present, has malls in Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Lucknow, and Thiruvananthapuram. The one in Hyderabad was inaugurated last year.

Trendsetter

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Lulu Group International is known as a "trendsetter" in the Middle East and North African retail industry.

The retailer operates more than 250 hypermarkets and supermarkets and is popular across the GCC, Egypt, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Lulu Group employs 65,000 people hailing from 42 different nations and has an annual turnover of $8 billion globally.

(By arrangement with livemint.com)