Indian company MMTC bids to expand airport stores

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According to reports in the Indian press this week, public-sector trading company MMTC has decided to expand its airport retail business by opening a new outlet at Thiruvananthapuram (formally Trivandrum) airport. The company is also negotiating with Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the opening of a shop at Delhi airport as the authority enters the leasing phase for new space at the Delhi and its other international airports.

The two new airport jewellery shops planned by MMTC are in addition to the outlet launched at Chennai recently, the company's chairman S D Kapoor said. All MMTC's shops specialise in gold jewellery, the Sanchi range of silverware and medallions, apart from watches and other high-value items.

MMTC said it has also opened another outlet at Mumbai airport. Located in the new terminal, this is MMTC's second shop in Mumbai.

"Efforts are on to boost sales from the duty-free business", Kapoor said. "The outlet planned at Thiruvananthapuram will be operational by March 2002. We are keen to launch more outlets but much will depend on allocation of space", he added. In Delhi, for example, MMTC said it is in a position to launch a new outlet soon after AAI allocates space.

Meanwhile the Airports Authority of India has released details of an international tender for traditional duty-free shops covering a new sales area of 1,855sq m (19,960sq ft) in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram airports combined. The incumbent operator ITDC (India Tourism Development Corp) was unavailable for comment at press time.

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• The trading arm of the Indian government MMTC (Minerals and Metals Trading Corp) is the country's largest trading conglomerate, dealing mainly in gold as well as other precious metals, minerals, agricultural products and chemicals.