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The initiative aims to leverage capabilities across Google’s product ecosystem – including Google Business Profile, Google Ads, Google Shopping, and Google Cloud – to deliver scalable digital solutions and expand digital enablement across RAI’s network representing over 600,000 storefronts nationwide.
Under this collaboration, RAI and Google will explore cooperation across three areas:
- Deeper ecosystem digitization: Accelerating digital adoption for small and medium retailers by equipping them with know-how to leverage Google Business Profile, Merchant Center in enhancing online discoverability of their storefronts, and showcasing in-store inventory to drive in local traffic and new acquisitions. This will also involve helping small and medium businesses to boost their local reach with Google Ads across Google Search, Google Shopping, Google Pay, and Google Maps.
- Industry insights & sector growth: Sharing research and digital readiness frameworks to build a competitive, inclusive, and future-ready retail ecosystem in India.
- Future of commerce readiness: Partnering across RAI-led industry summits, executive workshops, and leadership dialogues to equip retailers with insights into emerging consumer behaviors and AI-driven commerce innovations.
Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India, said, "Retail success involves the ability for retailers to know their customers, as well as to adopt modern methods, especially digitization. Retailers Association of India believes in creating a level-playing field for all types of retailers, and one part of this is to enable small retailers to adopt technologies that can help them stay relevant to their customers. This initiative between RAI and Google will help in creating capabilities of digitization for retailers across the country."
Shalini Puchalapalli, Managing Director, Google Customer Solutions, Google India said, “Small and medium retailers are the backbone of Indian commerce. We already see merchants across India using everyday Google tools to connect with local shoppers, and the bigger opportunity lies in making our full ecosystem work together seamlessly for them. Through our collaboration with RAI, we want to help merchants go further – bringing the combined capabilities of Google Shopping, Google Ads, Google Cloud, and Google Pay —underpinned by Google AI—directly into their hands so they can build resilient businesses.”
To ensure seamless execution and measurable impact, a Joint Working Group featuring representatives from both RAI and Google will oversee implementation and share industry learnings and best practices.
