LuLu Group is celebrating the warm Saudi-India ties through “India Utsav,” an immersive festival of commerce and cuisine, on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day of India. The colorful retail celebration was formally inaugurated at the LuLu store in Riyadh’s prestigious Diplomatic Quarter, by Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan. He was welcomed by Shehim Mohammed, director, LuLu Saudi Hypermarkets, and senior officials of LuLu. The event witnessed attendance from ambassadors, diplomats, journalists, Saudi nationals and other expatriates. The attendees were offered food delicacies from different states of India during the networking reception.

To the delight of shoppers, LuLu organized its product highlights in a bazaar-style “Indian Street,” where each corner displays some of the typical Indian products such as sarees, fashion accessories, Indian food, spices and others. A special attraction was the fusion fashion display of classic Indian saree material, presented in a way to create gowns, jalabiyas, abayas, skirts, summer dresses and bags.

More than 714 popular Indian products have been put on special promotion — from high-grade Assam tea to ethnic ready meals and snacks. In addition, a dedicated “product wall” has been designed where shoppers can see new product lines such as GI tagged products, and millet and millet-based products. During the event, four new top Indian food brands were also launched: Anil, Eatopia, Faani and Monsoon Harvest.   

During his address to the audience, the ambassador said that the commercial ties between Saudi Arabia and India have grown exponentially in the last few years, and that the bilateral trade figures crossed the historic milestone of $52 billion in FY23. He said commercial entities like LuLu Hypermarkets have played an important role in the overall growth of Saudi-India commercial relations. 

A cake cutting ceremony took place to mark the occasion. Ambassador Khan also briefed the audience about the range of special products under the “One District — One Product” and GI categories. He underlined the importance of the inclusion of millets in daily food habits while talking about the International Year Of Millets 2023 celebration. 

Speaking at the inauguration, Mohammed said: “LuLu Group International is at the forefront of India-GCC trade and in 2022, we exported nearly $185 million worth of Indian products to the GCC. In 2022, LuLu Saudi alone imported nearly $58 million worth of Indian products. With our network of food sourcing and logistics centers across India, food processing units and LuLu’s own-label food products, as well as a cohort of skilled fashion buyers who help our garments and clothing department to stay ahead of the trend, we are well-prepared to treat our shoppers with this truly amazing ‘Utsav’ shopping.”

The event showcases a wide range of food products, agri-produce, as well as meat and seafood. LuLu, which has a strong Indian network of food processing and logistics centers for exporting bulk products to the Middle Eastern countries, has flown in many exclusive Indian products for this shopping festival. To complete the Indian cultural experience, trendy high-street fashion as well as a curated collection of designer wear for festivals and weddings have been made available. 

India Utsav will run until Aug. 19 and features super deals on all Indian products and fashion wear. The festival is running across all LuLu stores in the Kingdom and online.