Andhra Pradesh greenlights 24/7 retail in cities above 4 lakh population

State notification under the 1988 Shops and Establishments Act permits round-the-clock operations for shops in urban local bodies with populations exceeding 4 lakh. Pitched as an ease-of-doing-business reform, the move opens longer trading windows for retailers in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and other large ULBs. RAI has welcomed the change.

— FiledFri, 15 May, 2026, 06:42 IST·First seen Fri, 15 May, 2026, 06:39 IST·Source Retailers Association of India (HTML list)

What happened

Government of Andhra Pradesh · Andhra Pradesh has notified 24/7 operations for shops and establishments in urban local bodies with populations above 4 lakhs,

Key facts

  • 24/7
  • 4 lakhs population threshold

Why this matters

Scout high-street and mall assets in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada where extended-hours economics could re-rate lease yields and accelerate format expansion deals.