In order to increase its retail presence, shoe major Bata India Ltd is engaged in talks with such leading retail chains as Reliance, Pantaloons and Bharti to share floor space in their upcoming malls, Chairman P M Sinha said here.

In the next three years, Bata will be spending a substantial amount to add 200 new stores that will give customers a feel of its international flavour, Mr Sinha told the shareholders at the 74th Annual General Meeting. “We want to make our presence felt even in small cities and hence, have decided to be present in as many malls as possible,” Mr Sinha said and confirmed that the company has opened dialogue with Pantaloons,Reliance and Bharti for sharing space in their malls.

This apart, the shoe major intends to completely revamp 600 out of its 1,100 stores in the country in the next two years.

In 2006, he said, the company remodeled 78 shops and opened 37 new stores which are being run on a franchise model. Bata’s wholesale business has been already restructured,yielding profits. The company plans to down shutters for 70 such shops in 2007. The number of loss-making shops which was 400 in 2005, came down to 140 last year.