HYDERABAD: UAE-based Lulu Group has announced plans to establish the first Lulu Mall and Lulu Hypermarket, with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore for a destination shopping mall in Hyderabad. Mini malls will also be constructed on the outskirts of Hyderabad and other major cities and towns in the state, with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore.
This is part of the Group’s plans to invest Rs 10,000 crore in the country over the next three years. Lulu Group has already invested over Rs 20,000 crore in India and aims to offer employment opportunities to 50,000 people, having already provided over 22,000 jobs.
As part of this investment, Lulu Group will allocate Rs 3,500 crore to Telangana, focusing on retail, exports, and food processing.
Lulu Group chairman MA Yusuff Ali told the media on Monday that the investment in the State is the result of extensive discussions and an MoU signed with the Government of Telangana during IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao’s visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos last year.
The first project in Hyderabad, a 5 lakh sq. ft. mall located in Kukatpally, is expected to be inaugurated in August. With an investment of Rs 300 crore, the Manjeera Mall will be rebranded as Lulu Mall and will generate employment for over 2,000 personnel.
The upcoming Lulu Mall in Hyderabad will feature a mega Lulu Hypermarket and will have over 75 local and international brands, a five-screen cinema with a seating capacity of 1,400, a multi-cuisine food court, and a children’s entertainment centre.
Lulu’s Chengicherla facility to be ready in 18 months
Part of the investment will also go towards an export-oriented integrated meat processing plant at Chengicherla, with a production capacity of 60 tonnes per day. The facility is expected to commence operations within the next 18 months and will provide employment for more than 2,500 personnel. Lulu Group also plans to establish an agriculture sourcing and logistics hub near Hyderabad Airport to facilitate exports and promote local produce across India and globally. The Group also intends to set up a seafood procurement and processing centre to support the fishing industry.
Welcoming the news, Rama Rao, expressed his satisfaction with the investment and highlighted Telangana’s role as the largest producer of paddy in the country. He said that the State was willing to assist neighbouring states, despite political differences. Retail outlets in Telangana have been granted permission to operate 24x7, which will benefit Lulu Group as it can operate in three shifts.
Hyderabad becomes the sixth Indian city to witness Lulu Group’s expansion, joining Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Coimbatore. With over 250 hypermarkets and 24 shopping malls across 22 nations, Lulu Group has been actively investing in India, with ongoing projects in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Srinagar, Greater Noida, and Varanasi, focusing on food processing and retail ventures.