Guwahati, Assam, 25th of May, 2026 : The Retailers Association of India (RAI) successfully hosted the fourth edition of the North East Retail Summit 2026 in Guwahati, further strengthening its focus on advancing the retail landscape in the region. Over the years, the summit has evolved into a key platform for industry stakeholders to exchange ideas, discuss market trends, and explore growth opportunities across the region.
The summit brought together retail professionals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from the seven North-Eastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, with discussions centred around strengthening the regional retail ecosystem, addressing market-specific challenges, and identifying new avenues for organised retail expansion.
Kumar Rajagopalan, Executive Director and CEO, Retailers Association of India, speaking on the retail landscape in North East India, has expressed, “The Northeast has become one of its most important chapters in India’s consumption story. Several states in this region are remarkably advanced in their outlook, and that shows up directly in purchasing behaviour. E-retail penetration here already runs 1.2 times the national average, and the Korean beauty and fashion influence is a documented shift in how the Northeast consumer defines aspiration. What makes this region genuinely compelling is its diversity. Consumption patterns change every hundred kilometres. It tells you this is a market with texture, with specificity, with consumers who know exactly what they want. The region rewards retailers who localise seriously and think globally”
The 2026 edition of the summit featured an esteemed line-up of speakers, who deliberated on topics such as One Region, Seven Markets – Why a Single Northeast Strategy Will Fail You; The Real Unit Economics – What Profitability Actually Looks in The Region; Trust is Not a Soft Metric – How Local Community Relationships Determine Retail Outcomes; and The Northeast Consumer on Their Own Terms – Aspiration, Identity, and What They’re Actually Buying.
Retail leaders from the region speaking at the summit included Vikram Bothra, MD & CEO, Chandan Retail (Askaran Binjraj) and Chairman, RAI – North East Chapter; Kunal Mordani, Director, Tanishkaa Retails Pvt. Ltd.; Anirban Gupta, Managing Director – East India, Colliers India; Raja Gohain, Director, MG Solutions (Times Square); Gaurav Sureka, Founder, Maa Kamakhya Retails and Shop N Save; Sandeep Jalan, Director, Sohum Shoppe; and Arita Kashyap, Founder & CEO, Doyna, amongst others.
Vikram Bothra MD & CEO, Chandan Retail Pvt. Ltd, Chairman, Northeast Retail Chapter, RAI: I’ve watched this region for years, and what’s different now isn’t just the roads or the airports, though that matters. What’s different is the confidence. The Northeast retailer today is thinking in terms of expansion, not survival. The consumer across these seven states has always been sophisticated, always been aspirational. What’s changed is that the ecosystem around them — the supply chains, the formats, the investment appetite — is finally catching up. We’re not at the beginning of this story. We’re at the part where it gets interesting.
Siddharth Jalan, Managing Director, Sohum Shoppe, said, “The Northeast consumer is not waiting for the rest of India to validate what they already know they want. This is a region where Korean beauty, Korean fashion, and East Asian aesthetics aren’t niche interests — they are mainstream purchasing behaviour. The consumer here arrived at that preference organically, ahead of the national curve, and organised retail is only now beginning to respond with the seriousness that it deserves.”
As the North-East continues to evolve as a promising retail frontier, NERS 2026 has further cemented its place as a catalyst for industry growth, partnership-building, and regional development. The summit was co-powered by Infinity and the Gold Partners were Askaran Binjraj and Soham. The Retailers Association of Assam was the Ecosystem Partner, TRRAIN was Charity Partner, Storai was Magazine Partner and Replenish was Digital Marketing Partner.
About Retailers Association of India RAI:
The Retailers Association of India is the national body representing India’s retail industry across all channels and formats, from large format and specialty retail to e-commerce, quick commerce, and connected commerce businesses. RAI works with governments, regulators, and industry stakeholders to enable a competitive, innovation-friendly retail ecosystem. Through policy advocacy, industry events, research, and learning programmes, RAI builds the conditions for retail to grow, invest, and create employment at scale. India’s retail future is connected. RAI is building for it.
About The Author
More Stories
Army Hospital (R&R) Commissions Modern Radiotherapy Technology For Advanced Cancer Care.
Ministry Of Electronics & IT And Indian School Of Business Convene The Governance Summit 2026 In Mohali.
Beyond Basic Sunscreen: Why Sunprotek 50+ Gel Is Becoming A Preferred Choice For Everyday Sun Protection.