Mumbai, July 17, 2013 – Virtuous Retail, India’s largest developer-operator of premium lifestyle centers, which recently opened of its 600,000 SF Flagship VR Surat on Dumas Road in May 2013, announced the appointment of Paresh Mishra as Director – Operations for Western India.
Mishra, who comes with over 23 years of experience in retail and hospitality, will be responsible for the operations of all VR Centers in Western India with immediate responsibility of Virtuous Retail’s inaugural lifestyle center, VR Surat.
VR Surat, India’s first integrated retail & lifestyle center is spread across 6 lakh sq. feet, and packed with unique outdoor and indoor experiences. Located in the new city center on Dumas Road, it is anchored by Zara, Marks & Spencer, Shoppers Stop, Westside and INOX, and will open in 3 phases. VR Surat’s Phase I opening saw the launch of over 50 brands, many of which have debuted in Surat and Gujarat: Calvin Klein, Faces Canada, French Connection (FCUK), Global Desi, Hidesign, Inox, Jack n Jones, Kailash Parbat, Mothercare, Nike, O2 Spa, Only, PUMA, Shoppers Stop, Sunglass Hut, Swarovski, Vero Moda, Westside and many more.
“With a growing pan-India portfolio of 8 developments in 6 cities, and the opening of our first Flagship in Surat, Asia’s fastest growing city, Virtuous Retail continues to build its roster of specialists who will ensure the delivery of world class experiential shopping in India’s leading cities. We are delighted to bring on board Paresh whose specific experience in retail real estate and hospitality gives him a unique perspective to steer VR Centers which are designed as community oriented shopping destinations”, commented Anupam Yog, Director – Marketing, Virtuous Retail.
Virtuous Retail’s portfolio in West India includes stand alone and mixed use developments in city center locations in Pune and Mumbai. The company is also actively looking at new greenfield developments and exploring acquisitions of existing developments in key cities such as Ahmedabad and Nagpur in the region.
Mishra joins Virtuous Retail from the Runwal Group where he was CEO of their shopping center portfolio including the R City Mall in Ghatkopar. Prior to joining the Runwal Group, he was General Manager for Inorbit’s flagship mall in Malad and also for Inorbit Vashi. Earlier, Mishra has held management positions at Reliance Capital, Pantaloon Retail, Radhkrishna Hospitality, K Raheja Resorts & Hospitality Services, and Essel World & Water Kingdom. Mishra is an MBA from Narsee Monjee, Mumbai and a Hotel Management graduate.
About Virtuous Retail
Established in 2007, Virtuous Retail (VR) is an institutionally owned developer-operator of community-oriented premium Lifestyle Shopping Centers in India’s top cities. Virtuous Retail’s pan-India portfolio includes prime city centre locations in Whitefield (Bengaluru Me, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Surat and Kolkata making it the leading platform of quality retail real estate in one of the world’s most attractive consumer markets for organized retail.
Virtuous Retail combines global expertise and local knowledge to create high performance retail environments with strong urban connections. The company’s long term vision is to create new social hubs for the urban Indian consumer. It does this through “Connecting Communities™” – a platform for cultural festivals, public-private partnerships and cross-border collaborations that encourage civic pride, strengthen the local economy and enhance the city’s brand image. Virtuous Retail is sponsored by The Xander Group Inc., a leading emerging markets investment firm, which has committed US$ 600 MM in equity to the platform.
For more information, log on to www.virtuousretail.com.