April 2014 is really special for all of us, as our country gears up for the upcoming elections this month and the fate of the millions living here will be sealed for the next five years. What India today needs is new avenues and outlets to grow. At this juncture, the retail sector can contribute tremendously to the growth of our economy. In this issue, we try to analyse the IPO agenda of many retail companies,those who have launched their IPO in the recent years. While some companies were able to hit the bull’s eye with the launch of their IPO in the market, some missed the aim. Many Indian retailers are now eyeing alternative modes to raise capital after the government clarified foreign retailers cannot buy into existing stores and tightened the foreign direct investment FDI policy in multi-brand retail. So some are either looking at joint ventures, sale of own brands or a stake sale or FII and IPO, which are the most favourite ones. However, is raising money via IPO the most viable option to expect profits In the cover story of April issue, we delve deeper on this pertinent question. Ajay Modani, Co-founder and COO, Capillary Technologies has also contributed a very important and valuable write-up on how with the digital and social channels having become an integral part of the traditional marketing mix, brands are going all out in all directions to drive more customer engagement through meaningful conversations. We have a plethora of interesting and business-driven stories in this issue, and we hope you will like this issue. We also expect to see you at India Shopping Centre Forum ISCF, which is scheduled to take place on 7 and 8 May, 2014 at The Renaissance, Mumbai, India.