India's economy is growing at a breathtaking pace. And an increasing proportion of the population is benefiting: the nationwide per capita income has risen by more than 60 percent in the last six years and the buying power of the expanding middle class continues to improve. The booming domestic demand makes the subcontinent one of the world's most attractive locations for retailing companies – including the METRO Group: as early as 2003, the first two Metro Cash & Carry wholesale stores opened for business in the city of Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore.