The Retailers Association of India (RAI) hosted the fifth edition of the Hyderabad Retail Summit (HRS) at Trident, Hyderabad. The summit serves as a content-driven platform that brings together industry stakeholders across categories to learn, connect, and engage in meaningful discussions on key retail trends and challenges in the region. Built on RAI’s cornerstone of ‘Connect–Converse–Collaborate–Catalyse’, the platform aims to help retailers identify the right partners and opportunities to take their businesses to the next level.
Speaking about the developments in the retail industry, Kumar Rajagopalan, Executive Director and CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “Telangana is one of the few states where retail policy and retail reality are actually aligned. The state has made it easier to open stores, hire, and invest, and the market is responding. Hyderabad has become a national benchmark for how a city can build a modern retail ecosystem. What we are seeing here –the convergence of physical expansion, digital adoption, and rising consumer aspiration – is the template other cities will follow. The retailers who will lead the next decade are those who treat technology not as a cost centre, but as the engine of customer relationships.”
Highlights of the Hyderabad Retail Summit (HRS) 2026 were the in-depth panel discussions on topics such as The Regional Champion’s Advantage: Building Brands That Outlast Trends, Quick Commerce, Connected Commerce: Where Does the Store Fit Now? and The Expansion Playbook: What Works Beyond the Metros.
Sharing valuable insights on these panels were some prominent faces of the retail industry in the region, namely – P Jayakumar, CEO, Apollo Pharmacy; Kiran Shinde, CEO, PMJ Jewels; Avnish Kumar, Managing Director, Neeru’s; Priyanka Vemuluri, Founder & CEO, Goyaz Silver Jewellery; Ashim Ashok Patil, MD & CEO, i-TEK RFID; Kavitha Mantha, Founding Partner, Green Organics & Akshara Ananda among others.
Avnish Kumar, Managing Director, Neeru’s | Chairman, RAI Hyderabad Chapter, speaking on the retail landscape in Hyderabad, said, “The Hyderabad consumer has changed faster than most retailers anticipated. Disposable incomes are up, aspirations are higher, and people are no longer willing to compromise on experience. But here is what is often missed – this is not just a Hyderabad phenomenon. What is happening in this city is a preview of what will happen in Warangal, Nizamabad, and Karimnagar in the next five years. Regional retailers who build the right capabilities today – in product, in experience, in technology – will have a significant head start when those markets mature. The window to build that advantage is right now.”
P Jayakumar, CEO Apollo Pharmacy, Vice Chairman, Hyderabad Retail Council, said, “As pharmacy retail has evolved into an omni-channel ecosystem, the difference between a transaction and a relationship comes down to context-a one-time purchase is a sale, but understanding a customer’s needs over time is a relationship. This shift from transactional to relational engagement, powered by data, is defining this decade across industries.
With a vast network serving millions of users, the omni-channel platform enables high-frequency interactions across the healthcare retail ecosystem – from medicine deliveries and doctor consultations to diagnostic bookings at scale – creating a true continuum of care. As a single destination for all health needs, it seamlessly brings everything together in one place.
These touchpoints build a dynamic, evolving view of the consumer, enabling a shift from fulfilling needs to anticipating them – from a service people use, to a health partner that truly knows them.”
Priyanka Vemuluri, Founder & CEO, Goyaz Silver Jewellery, added, “Building a regional brand today is genuinely harder and genuinely more exciting than it has ever been. Harder, because consumers are better informed and have more choices than ever. More exciting, because a small brand with the right product and the right use of digital tools can build a loyal customer base at a speed that simply was not possible ten years ago. What I would tell any regional retailer is this: do not wait to be big before you invest in understanding your customer. The data you collect in your first thousand transactions is more valuable than any consultant’s report. Start with that, and build from there.”
Sridevi Jasti, Founder, Vibrant Living | Holistic Nutritionist & Wellness Coach, expressed, “Wellness retail in India has stopped being a niche – it is now a primary category. But the consumers driving that growth are not buying products; they are buying outcomes. They want a brand that understands their health goals, not just their purchase history. Regional wellness retailers actually have an edge here – you know your customer’s context in a way no national chain can replicate. The ones who combine that closeness with smart use of data and content will build loyalty that is very hard to compete with.”
Aishwarya Gupta, Founder, Wondr Diamonds, said, “There is a perception that fine jewellery retail is about trust built over generations and that technology is somehow at odds with that. The opposite is true. The new consumer – and increasingly, this means younger buyers in Tier 1 cities who are the growth engine of the category – wants transparency, personalisation, and a seamless experience across digital and physical touchpoints. The brands that will win in jewellery retail are not the oldest or the largest; they are the ones that combine authentic craftsmanship with the kind of customer intelligence that modern technology makes possible. That is not a threat to heritage – it shows heritage stays relevant.”
Prasad Chalavadi, Founder & Managing Director, Kalamandir, said, “The Hyderabad consumer is more discerning than ever, but they haven’t abandoned their roots – if anything, their pride in regional identity is stronger. What has changed is their expectation of the experience around it. They want the warmth and authenticity of a brand that understands their culture, delivered with the convenience and personalisation they get from any world-class retailer. That is the challenge and the opportunity for regional fashion retail today. The brands that will endure are those that use data and technology not to become generic, but to become more precisely themselves – sharper on product, smarter on customer engagement, and deeper in community trust.”
HRS 2026 is presented by Ratnadeep Retail and Powered by National Mart. Platinum Partners included Neeru’s Indian Ethnic and Vara Mahalakshmi; Gold Partners included PMJ Jeweller; Associate Partners include Apollo Pharmacy, Apollo 24/7, Café Niloufer; Urban Casa, Newland AIDC, and 2CQR; i-TEKRFID as RFID Partner; Keka as HR Tech Partner Event Partners include Radiwalla.in, Kumar (shirts and trousers), Sen Security Solutions; TRRAIN as Charity Partner, STOrai as the Magazine Partner, Digital Magazine Partner – Replenish and RAI Global Linker as Networking Partner.
