Ikea to invest Rs 6,000 crore for Maharashtra expansion

Ikea is planning to invest Rs 6,000 crore ($815.7 million) for its expansion in the state of Maharashtra. The Swedish retailer also plans to open as many eight stores of different formats over the next ten years.

On December 18, Ikea will open its second India store in Navi Mumbai. It expects the store to add to the overall demand generation, support local communities with jobs and equal opportunities, increase the supply chain with a focus on local production and skill-building.

The company sees huge potential for growth in the state especially in the metro city of Mumbai and expects the store to become one of the best performing stores in the coming years.

“The investments will be made over the next ten years as we are looking at a long-term growth opportunity here. In Mumbai, Ikea plans to build six-eight stores of different formats. Two of the smaller city centre stores are planned during FY21,” Per Hornell, market and expansion manager at Ikea India, told BusinessLine.

 “As far as hiring is concerned, we have plans to hire approximately 4,000-5,000 people directly with a 50-50 ratio, and an equal amount of relations with our suppliers,” Hornell added.

Ikea entered the Indian market with the launch of its first store in 2018 in Hyderabad and has managed to generate revenue of Rs 400 crore since the launch.