RAI's Bhatt flags D2C consolidation, quick commerce, AI as North East retail eyes scale

At the North East Retail Summit curtain raiser in Guwahati, RAI President Hitesh Bhatt cited HUL's ₹2,000 cr beauty acquisition and named Lenskart, Mamaearth and Country Delight as disruptors reshaping the playbook. With 67% working-age population and median age 28, omnichannel and AI dominate the agenda.

— FiledMon, 15 Jun, 2026, 11:05 IST·First seen Tue, 16 Jun, 2026, 06:34 IST·Source Retailers Association of India

What happened

Retailers Association of India (RAI) · RAI President Hitesh Bhatt's North East Retail Summit keynote in Guwahati flagged D2C consolidation (HUL's ₹2,000 cr

Key facts

  • 2,500 direct members
  • 20,000 affiliate members
  • 700+ outlets
  • 25 lakh+ employees
  • ₹2,000 crore HUL acquisition
  • 67% working age
  • median age 28

Why this matters

Track Lenskart, Mamaearth and Country Delight-style disruptors as M&A templates, with HUL's ₹2,000 cr beauty acquisition framing the valuation benchmark for D2C roll-ups into North East distribution.