Andhra Pradesh greenlights 24/7 retail in cities above 4 lakh population

State notification under the 1988 Shops and Establishments Act permits round-the-clock operations for shops in urban local bodies with populations exceeding 4 lakh. Pitched as an ease-of-doing-business reform, the move opens longer trading windows for retailers in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and other large ULBs. RAI has welcomed the change.

— Filed Fri, 15 May, 2026, 06:42 IST · Source Retailers Association of India (HTML list) · Updated

Andhra Pradesh has notified 24/7 operations for shops and establishments in urban local bodies with populations above 4 lakhs, under its 1988 Act, as part of ease-of-doing-business reforms. RAI welcomed the move as supportive of retail growth.