Patna attracting big brands

Luxury brands like Biba, Wills Lifestyle, Sabhyata, Mufti and Bossini are headed for Bihar.

And they are clustered in Patna’s P&M mall, owned by Bollywood filmmaker Prakash Jha. The reason: The eastern city has seen a major image change in the last few years. The World Bank in its 2009 report had ranked Patna as the second best city after New Delhi to start business in India. Quite a turn around for a state, considered a hot bed of lawlessness and crime not far back. The economy of Patna has been spurred by a growth in fast moving consumer goods. Lotto opened two stores in just a year’s time and one of them is in P&M mall. Lalit Kishore, MD of Lotto Licensee Sportsl Lifestyle, says the city’s great business proposition inspired them to take an instant step to open two stores in just a year’s time. P&M has retail shops, Big Bazaar, a four-screen multiplex, food court and plenty of parking space. The four-screen multiplex, opened by Cinepolis, a Mexican cinema chain, runs 22 shows a day including Hollywood, Bollywood and regional movies.

People are excited about the first mall in the state. During daytime youngsters, mostly students flock the shopping arena, but after six in the evening, the family crowd trickles in. After its success, Prakash Jha has been inspired enough to open one more mall in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand. According to Jha the large number of working women and because of the rising incomes, they are able to express their fashion preferences.