Industry players hope more State governments will give their nod to malls to re-open from June 8, after the Ministry of Health released Standard Operating Protocols (SOP) for malls, religious places and restaurants.

Amitabh Taneja, Chairman, Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI), said, “The industry is eagerly looking forward to the opening of malls in States where permissions have been granted. At the same time, we would like to call upon States governments where malls continue to be locked down, to follow these guidelines and open the malls in a safe and controlled manner. We hope that the Health Ministry guidelines coupled with the SCAI protocols instil the confidence among remaining State Governments to apply similar provisions and open malls across the country.”

Retailers Association of India (RAI) said the new SOP has given important clarifications on issues such as air-conditioning and social distancing. Some States were earlier not allowing air-conditioned stores to open up.

Kumar Rajagopalan - CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “We believe that these guidelines also pave the way for all kinds of stores irrespective of size and location, including in malls, to operate without unnecessary restrictions like number of hours, size or side of business etc.”

He added, “During the lockdown, our members worked closely to develop a charter of retail SOPs which are in close alignment with these guidelines. This gives us tremendous confidence in our ability and preparedness to facilitate the smooth and safe opening of retail across the nation.”

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