Mallamall

India is undergoing a retail revolution in which the aspiring middle-class is demanding more western goods and services. Modern malls are muscling into the traditional marketplace, pushing India's economic infrastructure to the limits and threatening to put thousands of bazaar owners and small farmers out of business.

In Hindi "MALLAMALL" literally means "bountiful goods," and nowhere else in the world are the markets so lively with their jewel-colored saris, aromatic spices, and personalities to match. But in cities like Bangalore, street vendors and small business owners are pitted against savvy developers of super-stores. Generations of small merchant families have survived and thrived in urban centers, but foreign companies such as Canada's Perennial Design, are eager to capitalize on India's $650 billion retail industry. As Canadian marketing guru Chris Lund affirms: "India is where we want to channel our energy."