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Indian retail giant Future Group has announced plans for expansion of its Big Bazaar and Pantaloons chains in West Bengal over the next three years.

The retailer – India’s largest – said expansion in India’s eastern region has high on its list of priorities, reported the Business Standard.

“We are looking at increasing the number of Big Bazaar stores from the present 18 to 30 and the number of Pantaloons stores to eight from the current five,” said Future Group’s general manager of sales and merchandising Manish Agarwal.

“Overall in the eastern region, the idea would be expand the number of Big Bazaar stores from the present 30 to over 50 and Pantaloon stores from the present seven to at least 14 in the next three years.”

Bengal will be the central focus of that expansion, Mr Agarwal told the Business Standard, with Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar next on the list.

Big Bazaar opened its 18th hypermarket store in West Bengal on Monday in Kolkata, bringing the chain to a total of 145 stores across India.