First evidence of Organized Retail (Shopping Mall) in India

In Manusmriti and Kautily's Arthshastra you will find the existence of current Kirana Stores. It also provides the guidelines for customer service, price, guarantees and after-sales service even tax system for retail. Harappan civilization also records the existence of  market.

The first evidence of organized retailing in India probably found in Kolkata. Way back in January 1st 1874 The Hogg Saheber Bajaar, a name which is sometimes still used alongside, the New Market opens it's door to the English People. New Market was formally christened Sir Stuart Hogg Market on December 2, 1903.The East India Railway Company executed the designs and with a renowned architect R. Bayney, pitching, an architecturally Gothic market-complex. Bayney was honoured with a 1000 rupee award. 

New Market’s growth kept pace with the city’s urbanization endeavours until World War II. The northern portion of the market came up in 1909 at an expense of 6 lakh rupees. Finally, beneath the gathering clouds of World War II, an extension on the south flanks was engineered. A finale to these structural expansions in the 1930s was the installation of New Market’s historic clock-tower.A fire burned down large portions of the original building on December 13, 1985. It has since been rebuilt, and provided with a new wing. This new wing has come to be called as the New Market.

Affluent Englishmen shopped at exclusive retailers like Rankin and Company (dressmakers), Cuthbertson and Harper (shoe-merchants) and R.W. Newman or Thacker Spink, the famous stationers and book-dealers.It has around 2000 stalls to shop with in proper order of merchandise plan. Each row of stall deal with similar line of goods. At that time no advertisements or encroachments were allowed even they are not allowed to block the corridors and paths. There were a garden with a fountain where shoppers gathered to chat. Begging and pestering were forbidden. Even the registered coolies were introduced in 1895 where registration fee was five annas and all collies had to wear uniform and a number badge.

Thus, this was probably the first phase of organized retailing now India has to go long. Let's watch.......