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This article is more than 1 year old

Mumbai has the become the largest Indian city to ban single-use plastics, with residents caught using plastic bags, cups or bottles to face penalties of up to 25,000 rupees (£276) and three months in jail from Monday.



Council inspectors in navy blue jackets have been posted across the city to catch businesses or residents still using plastic bags. Penalties have already kicked in for businesses and several, reportedly including a McDonald’s and Starbucks, have already been fined.

Penalties range from 5,000 rupees for first-time offenders to 25,000 rupees and the threat of three months’ jail for those caught repeatedly using single-use plastics.

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“For the pollution situation it’s fine to do this but for the people it is a big problem,” said Kamlash Mohan Chaudhary, a Mumbai resident. “People here carry everything in plastic bags.”

Chaudhary, a taxi driver, said he had started carrying a cloth bag and that his local mutton vendor had begun wrapping the meat in newspaper rather than plastic sheets.

Local media have reported complaints from vendors who say some inspectors are using confusion over the ban to extort money from businesses.

India recently hosted World Environment Day, which this year focused on the epidemic of plastic waste. About 6.3bn tonnes of plastic globally has been discarded into the environment since 1950, most of which will not break down for at least 450 years.



Half of the world’s plastic was created in the past 13 years and about half of that is thought to be for products used once and thrown away, such as bags, cups or straws.

India’s use of plastic is less than half of the global average: about 11kg a year per capita compared with 109kg in the US.

India has among the highest rates of mismanaging plastic waste in the world, according to a 2015 study. Strewn plastic wrappers, cups and bags are a common sight on the streets of Indian cities and beaches and make up part of the mountain-sized landfills on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas such Delhi.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Children plays amid plastic waste near the Arabian Sea coast at Mahim beach in Mumbai. Photograph: Divyakant Solanki/EPA

Discontent about Mumbai’s ban was made worse on Monday by torrential rain, which Chaudhary said had soaked through the jute or cloth bags many people were using as an alternative to plastic.

Messages were circulated on WhatsApp with stories of people who had been fined, prompting many to comply. “We are all very afraid,” he said.</s>The Indian city of Mumbai has banned single-use plastic, with offenders caught using disposable cutlery or bags facing up to three months in jail and heavy fines.

A state-wide ban in Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, was implemented this weekend, with special inspectors targeting restaurants and food shops before the new rules begin to apply to residents today.

A first-time offender will be fined 5,000 rupees (£55), then 10,000 rupee (£111) if the offence is repeated. After three strikes, the punishment is 25,000 rupees (£277) and three months in jail.

The ban was announced in March, and shops and restaurants in the city, which has a population of some 22million, have had three months to get rid of their stocks.

The ban, implemented for shops and restaurants on Saturday and residents on Monday, applies to any single-use or disposable plastic, including shopping bags, plastic cutlery, PET bottles and gloves.

Some 87 shops have already been fined, and the Mumbai retailers association has threatened to go on a strike from Wednesday unless the local government adhere to their requests to allow buyback on some plastic containers.

They also demand that the ban be postponed until the end of the monsoon season, as the hot and wet weather is making it difficult to store some products in non-plastic containers, Hindustan Times reports.

India generates around 5.6million tonnes of plastic waste annually, according to government figures, and a series of efforts have been carried out in recent years to try to combat the waste.

Maharashtra has become the 18th state in India to completely ban single-use plastic, but despite a pledge by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clean up the country by the time his term ends in 2019, the ban is reportedly rarely enforced in larger cities.

Plastic bags are still the staple for carrying vegetables, fruit, meat and restaurant takeaways across India.

India, Asia's third-largest economy, was recently found to have 14 of the world's 15 worst cities for dirty air, according to a World Health Organization survey.</s>A man makes a heap of plastic bottles at a junkyard on World Environment Day in Chandigarh, India, June 5, 2018. Source: Reuters/Ajay Verma

MUMBAI has become the largest Indian city to ban single-use plastics, rolling out council inspectors to impose fines up to 25,000 rupees (US$ 367) and three months in jail for residents caught violating the new ruling.

While India has a per capita plastic usage far below the global average – just 11kg per person per year compared to 109kg in America – the country has long struggled with managing the volume resulting in mountain-sized landfills, blocked drains, and rubbish strewn streets.

According to the Guardian, a number of global corporations have already fallen foul of the statewide ban, which was imposed on Monday. Both McDonalds and Starbucks have been fined.

SEE ALSO: India hosts World Environment Day as its citizens drown in plastic



Locals have voiced concern over the new penalties fearing the city’s reliance on plastics will be difficult for business to overcome.

“For the pollution situation it’s fine to do this but for the people it is a big problem,” Kamlash Mohan Chaudhary, a Mumbai resident told the Guardian. “People here carry everything in plastic bags.”

But others are relieved and hope the ban will help to ease some of the pollution under which the city is drowning.

“It’s not that we aren’t facing any difficulties, but it will be beneficial for us in the long run. We are happy with the decision,” one Mumbai resident told ANI.

According to NDTV, Maharashtra State generates 1,200 tonnes of plastic waste every day. Mumbai alone generates 500 metric tonnes every day which accounts for nearly 10 percent of its total waste.

Penalties start from 5,000 rupees (US$ 74) for first-time offenders. This then goes up to 10,000 rupees for a second offence and 25,000 rupees and three months in jail for those caught a third time.

SEE ALSO: Whale dies in Thailand after ingesting more than 80 plastic bags



Small businesses and individuals are not the intended targets of the ban, Maharashtra Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said on Monday. Large-scale manufacturers, however, will be dealt with harshly.

“We will ensure that common people and small traders are not harassed. But strict action will be taken again plastic manufacturers (if they break the law),” Kadam said.

“This decision has been taken for the betterment of the state.”

Maharashtra is the 18th state in India to introduce the ban after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a pledge to clean up the country by the time his term ends in 2019.

Despite the pledge, India continues to generate around 5.6 million tonnes of plastic waste annually and clean-up groups and NGOs say they are losing the battle.

In other cities, such as Delhi which introduced a ban in 2009, the law is rarely enforced.

Beating plastic pollution was the central theme of this year’s World Environment Day, which was hosted by India earlier this month.

According to the UN, about 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic globally has been discarded into the environment since 1950, most of which will not break down for at least 450 years.</s>n the year 2010, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) decided to impose a fine on people found dumping garbage in drains. If anyone is caught throwing garbage in a drain, they will have to pay Rs 5,000 as a fine for first offence. BMC teams were formed in every ward under the ward officer who would go around the city keeping an eye out for offenders. The amount of fine was depending on how much garbage an individual dumps. Clean up marshals have also been on alert, but later on, they landed up blackmailing and extorting people. The cleanup drive and its marshals remained utter flop and the plastic bags still sunk the city but no one was caught. Some formalities were done to show the numbers. Throwing garbage in the open is not only an offence but it leads to choking of the drains. If drains are choked, that leads to flooding. People still lack civic sense. After eight years, again in 2018, the Maharashtra government has decided to ban plastic and impose fine on users.

Last week, rains exposed the double standards of BMC and the state government. Mumbai was flooding; many nullahs (drains) that pass through thickly populated slums were choked. Nullahs around the paan shops were seen with heavy garbage of pan masala’s waterproof sachets and Gutka’s plastic wraps. Areas like Pila House and Nagpada nullahs were choked with condoms. Even if the drains are cleaned, garbage from these areas was found floating in them the next day. Just plastic bags are the not the issues, from chocolate wrappers to condoms all those waterproof wrappers are the challenge to Mumbai’s drainage system. Many slums which are situated on drains such as Chamdawadi nullah, that passes through the Behrampada slum in Bandra (East), gets choked with garbage that people living in homes near the drain throw in it. You cannot stop them unless and until there is a strict vigil. There are many slums on gutters, who do small-scale works throw most of the waste in these drainage pipes. The BMC finds it difficult to clean these drains regularly because most of them are difficult to access due to shanties built around them. The politicians who rule the city and the state of Maharashtra blame it on the weather but they still failed to understand the geographical conditions and drainage issues pertaining to the city.

No one disputes that the island city on the Arabian Sea gets a large share of rainfall every year. Many ambitious projects like Metro etc. that have made many ecological compromises. The systematic destruction of about 1,000 acres of the city’s mangrove cover – what’s left, about 5,000 acres, is under threat and that has deprived Mumbai of its natural flood-barrier and silt trap. Now rainwater washes silt into the bay, threatening to clog the city’s deep natural harbour. Many ecologically unsound decisions have caused huge financial damage. Meanwhile, horror stories abound of urban welfare projects have gone terribly awry. Mangroves have been cleared to build golf courses, amusement parks and rubbish dumps. Building construction is planned on thousands of acres of salt pan land. In the 16th century, 95 per cent of today’s Mumbai was under water. It’s not just the “no-development zones” that have fallen prey to the frenzy of unplanned building.

Typically, 35-40 per cent of rainwater is absorbed by the land, lifting groundwater levels, but there are few open spaces left in Mumbai. India has the lowest ratio of open space to people in the world – a mere four acres per 1,000 of the population, compared to the global benchmark of 12 acres. In Mumbai, this falls to a paltry 0.2 acres, and after accounting for slums, it diminishes to a measly 0.03 acres. An unholy nexus between the politicians, builders and unfettered development have brought the city to the brink of collapse. Thousands of tons of unlearned rubbish choke the city’s 100-year-old storm water drains, which urgently need an overhaul. And in a city where 88 per cent of commuters use public transport, governments spend a lot on flyovers and a pittance on upgrading creaky trains and buses. In the next 50 years, the storm drains that carry rainwater out of Mumbai could be bringing sea water in, even at low tide. Storm water drains choked with ubiquitous plastic carry bags are partly responsible for Mumbai’s woes.

The Environment Ministry’s decision to ban the manufacture and use of small plastics carry bag has gone unheeded, not just in Maharashtra, but also in most parts of the country. In June 1998, the Bombay Municipal Corporation passed a resolution to ban plastics carry bags only to vacate it in less than two days. The then Mumbai Mayor said no plastic bags meant putting out of work those engaged in the plastics recycling industry. India’s plastics consumption is one of the highest in the world. Yet, precious little has been done to recycle, re-use and dispose of plastic waste. The carry bags that are callously littered at every public place have low economic value and are not picked up by rag pickers. About 500 flimsy polythene bags make a kilo and fetch about Rs 12, if the bags are soiled the value is even less. Without being picked up, most of the poly-bags end up in drains and block flow of water. In absence of a long-term Government policy, we are unable to get rid of poly-bags. When sewerage is blocked, municipal corporations and State pollution control boards only pass the buck. Corporations just throw up their hands when it comes to handling the enormous quantity of plastic waste. Besides choking drains, plastics are highly toxic. When burned they release cancer-causing gases. Lying in the garbage, polythene bags also find their way in gut of the cattle, asphyxiating the animals. Mumbai crisis serves as a grim reminder that unless our plastic waste is taken care of, we cannot dream to emulate Shanghai. The Panvel City Municipal Corporation even penalised the Kharghar-based DAV School’s canteen for using plastic spoons and glasses.

Starbucks and McDonald’s outlet, faced action for plastic articles found on their premises. These outlets were fined Rs 5,000 each, while the fast-food outlet would face further proceedings as it refused to pay up. In the neighbouring districts of Thane and Navi Mumbai, the official machinery kicked off the drive in earnest — 100 people were fined Rs 95,000 for violations in Thane, while Rs 35,000 was collected in fines at Navi Mumbai and plastic goods seized. All this hype is only during rains to save the skin of authority, Mumbai has many other plastic challenges and government needs to be serious about it.</s>Mumbai — Burger King, McDonald’s and Starbucks are among dozens of companies fined for violating a new ban on single-use plastics in India’s commercial capital Mumbai, an official said on Tuesday.

The rules, in force since Saturday, prohibit the use of disposable plastic items, such as bags, cutlery, cups and bottles under a certain size. Businesses and residents face fines of between 5,000 rupees ($73) for a first-time offence to 25,000 rupees or even three months in jail for repeat offending. Some 250 officials, wearing blue uniforms and dubbed Mumbai’s "anti-plastic squad", have been deployed to carry out inspections of restaurants and shops across the teeming coastal city of 20-million.

Nidhi Choudhari, a deputy municipal commissioner in charge of enforcing the ban, said 660,000 rupees ($9,684) in fines had been collected during the first three days. She said 132 premises had been issued with penalties, including outlets of Burger King, McDonald’s and Starbucks. A branch of Godrej Nature’s Basket, a high-end Indian supermarket, had also been penalised, Choudhari added. "All were fined for using banned plastic straws and disposable cutlery, etc."

Starbucks India and Hardcastle Restaurants, which runs the McDonald’s franchise in Mumbai, were not immediately available for comment.</s>Burger King, McDonald's and Starbucks are among dozens of companies fined for violating a new ban on single-use plastics in India's commercial capital Mumbai, an official said Tuesday.

[MUMBAI] Burger King, McDonald's and Starbucks are among dozens of companies fined for violating a new ban on single-use plastics in India's commercial capital Mumbai, an official said Tuesday.

The rules, in force since Saturday, prohibit the use of disposable plastic items such as bags, cutlery, cups and bottles under a certain size.

Businesses and residents face fines of between 5,000 rupees (S$99.48) for a first-time offence to 25,000 rupees ($367) or even three months in jail for repeat offending.

Some 250 officials, wearing blue uniforms and dubbed Mumbai's "anti-plastic squad", have been deployed to carry out inspections of restaurants and shops across the teeming coastal city of 20 million.

Nidhi Choudhari, a deputy municipal commissioner in charge of enforcing the ban, said 660,000 rupees in fines had been collected during the first three days.

She said 132 premises had been issued with penalties including outlets of Burger King, McDonald's and Starbucks.

A branch of Godrej Nature's Basket, a high-end Indian supermarket, had also been penalised, Choudhari added.

"All were fined for using banned plastic straws and disposable cutlery etc," she told AFP.

Starbucks India and Hardcastle Restaurants, which runs the McDonald's franchise in Mumbai, were not immediately available for comment.

Authorities hope the ban will help clean up Mumbai's beaches and streets, which like other cites in India are awash with vast mountains of plastic rubbish.

Plastic has also been blamed for blocking drains and contributing to flooding during the city's four-month-long summer monsoon.

Authorities first announced the ban -- which covers the whole of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital -- three months ago to allow businesses to prepare.

The majority of India's 29 states have a full or partial ban on single-use plastics but the law is rarely enforced.

Choudhari said more than 8,000 businesses had been searched in Mumbai alone and at least 700 kilogrammes (1,500 pounds) of plastic seized.

Small traders, however, have claimed that the crackdown threatens their livelihoods.

Retailers associations say a confusion over what is and isn't allowed has led small grocery stores to remain closed for fear of being fined.

The Plastic Bags Manufacturers Association of India estimates that 300,000 people employed in the industry could lose their jobs.

The United Nations warned earlier this month that the world could be awash with 12 billion tonnes of plastic trash by the middle of the century if use is maintained at current levels.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently pledged to make India, which was the host of this year's International Environment Day, free of single-use plastic by 2022.</s>The state of Maharashtra, home to Mumbai, collected nearly $6,000 in fines this past Sunday from businesses that haven't gotten rid of banned plastics yet.

In a speech earlier this month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called plastic "a menace to humanity" and pledged to eliminate single-use plastics throughout the country by 2022. The majority of states have partial or full bans on certain plastics already, but these are often not enforced.

The state of Maharashtra, however, is wasting no time. Maharashtra is home to major cities Mumbai and Pune and has a population of 100 million, which means that its policies affect a great number of people. At the end of March, the state government announced a list of fines for being in possession of single-use plastics, and these took effect on June 23, giving businesses only three months to come up with alternatives. This is a far cry from the generous multi-year timelines that many countries are giving themselves.

If businesses are found with any of the banned items -- which include disposable dishes, cups, plates, glasses, forks, bowls, containers, plastic packaging to wrap or store products and foods, and plastic bags handed out in store -- then they will be fined. First-time offenders are charged Rs 5,000 (US $73), and second-time offenders will pay Rs. 25,000 (US $367).

CNN reports that fast-food chain McDonald's has already been hit with fines. The company says it has begun using wooden cutlery, paper cups, and biodegradable straws made of starch, but it hasn't figured out everything yet:

This past Sunday, the government's special task force collected Rs. 400,000 ($5,900) in fines from 80 businesses in Mumbai, and a similar amount was collected in Pune. This sends a strong message to retailers and consumers alike -- that the government means business and is getting serious about the crackdown on plastics.

If Modi's promise is kept, then India will see all single-use plastics abolished within three years. Maharashtra can hopefully be a model for the rest of the country, perhaps even the world, showing that there's no point in wasting time and that workable alternatives exist.

There's a good chance residents of Mumbai are inspired by their own beach cleanup projects, which have gained international headlines. Versova Beach, which was one strewn with plastic garbage, is now a turtle nesting habitat. An estimated 15 million kilograms of plastic have been removed by thousands of volunteers. It's real-life evidence of the positive effect individual change can have on the planet, and of the importance of halting the plastic flow at its source, rather than focusing on cleanup.</s>McDonald’s and Starbucks have been caught in a crackdown on plastics in India.

The restaurant chains were among dozens of companies hit with fines in Maharashtra state — India’s second-largest with a population of more than 100 million — at the weekend, a government official said.

The ban on single-use plastic items including shopping bags, food containers and cutlery, was announced in late March but went into force on Saturday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called plastic a “menace to humanity” in a speech earlier this month. His government has pledged to eliminate single-use plastic in India by 2022, joining a global campaign that has been given added urgency by research showing there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the oceans by 2050.

At least 25 of India’s 29 states have full or partial bans on single-use plastics, but they’re often not strictly enforced.

Maharashtra is cracking down immediately, forcing companies to change their ways.

Hardcastle Restaurants, the franchisee which runs McDonald’s outlets in Maharashtra, said it has begun using wooden cutlery, paper cups and straws made of corn starch.

But the chain was fined because it has not yet found similar alternatives for delivery items such as plastic lids for drinks, a spokesperson for McDonald’s India told CNNMoney. McDonald’s has joined restaurant associations in the region in asking for exemptions from the ban for delivery and takeaway orders, the spokesperson added.

Starbucks India did not respond to a request for comment.

Fines for breaking the ban are small for global companies. They start at 5,000 rupees ($73) for first time offenders, rising to 25,000 rupees ($367) for subsequent violations. Serial offenders could face jail time.

But the ban poses a much bigger challenge for smaller businesses and retailers. Industry associations have warned of dire consequences, starting with the plastics industry.

Neemit Punamiya, secretary of the Plastic Bags Manufacturers Association of India, estimates that India’s plastic industry could lose over $2.2 billion and 300,000 jobs as a result of the ban, local media reported.

Punamiya did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

So far the government of Maharashtra has only exempted plastic containers used to package medicines, milk and solid waste, as well as plastic items for export.

Authorities in Mumbai, India’s financial hub and the capital of Maharashtra state, collected fines worth 400,000 rupees ($5,900) on Sunday from more than 80 establishments, a senior official told CNNMoney. Officials in Pune, another of the state’s major cities, reportedly collected a similar amount.

India’s campaign to cut back on plastic usage follows similar moves in the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Big global companies are also doing their part, with Swedish furniture giant IKEA imposing a ban on single-use plastic earlier this month.</s>McDonald's and Starbucks have been caught in a crackdown on plastics in India.

The restaurant chains were among dozens of companies hit with fines in Maharashtra state — India's second-largest with a population of more than 100 million — at the weekend, a government official said.

The ban on single-use plastic items including shopping bags, food containers and cutlery, was announced in late March but went into force on Saturday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called plastic a "menace to humanity" in a speech earlier this month. His government has pledged to eliminate single-use plastic in India by 2022, joining a global campaign that has been given added urgency by research showing there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the oceans by 2050.

Related: How big brands are trying to pull off a recycling revolution

At least 25 of India's 29 states have full or partial bans on single-use plastics, but they're often not strictly enforced.

Maharashtra is cracking down immediately, forcing companies to change their ways.

Hardcastle Restaurants, the franchisee which runs McDonald's (MCD) outlets in Maharashtra, said it has begun using wooden cutlery, paper cups and straws made of corn starch.

But the chain was fined because it has not yet found similar alternatives for delivery items such as plastic lids for drinks, a spokesperson for McDonald's India told CNNMoney. McDonald's has joined restaurant associations in the region in asking for exemptions from the ban for delivery and takeaway orders, the spokesperson added.

Starbucks (SBUX) India did not respond to a request for comment.

Related: McDonald's to scrap plastic straws in UK and Ireland

Fines for breaking the ban are small for global companies. They start at 5,000 rupees ($73) for first time offenders, rising to 25,000 rupees ($367) for subsequent violations. Serial offenders could face jail time.

But the ban poses a much bigger challenge for smaller businesses and retailers. Industry associations have warned of dire consequences, starting with the plastics industry.

Neemit Punamiya, secretary of the Plastic Bags Manufacturers Association of India, estimates that India's plastic industry could lose over $2.2 billion and 300,000 jobs as a result of the ban, local media reported.

Hipen Bheda, president of the All India Plastics Manufacturers' Association, said the ban in its current form was unclear and so widely drawn that it could harm the economy.

"The decision has to be to seek solutions to the pollution or the littering and not on killing the industry," he told CNN, adding that the industry was keen to work with government to improve waste management.

Related: Big businesses are saying no to plastic trash in the UK

So far the government of Maharashtra has only exempted plastic containers used to package medicines, milk and solid waste, as well as plastic items for export.

Authorities in Mumbai, India's financial hub and the capital of Maharashtra state, collected fines worth 400,000 rupees ($5,900) on Sunday from more than 80 establishments, a senior official told CNNMoney. Officials in Pune, another of the state's major cities, reportedly collected a similar amount.

India's campaign to cut back on plastic usage follows similar moves in the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Big global companies are also doing their part, with Swedish furniture giant IKEA imposing a ban on single-use plastic earlier this month.

-- Vinayak Dewan and Sreoshi Mukherjee contributed to this article.</s>After it opens in Hyderabad next month, IKEA will arrive in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, sometime in 2019.

But the Swedish furniture retailer has some unusual plans for the 20 million residents of Mumbai and its neighbourhood. Not only will it build a signature big-box store on the city’s outskirts, IKEA will also debut its small stores there and launch an e-commerce service for what it believes is one of its most important markets in the country.

Together, these will make IKEA’s Mumbai outing its “first multi-channel, multi-format destination for India,” a company spokesperson told Quartz.

This is in contrast to the usual strategy followed by the company. Typically, it enters a market with a large store, and launches e-commerce much later. However, with purchasing patterns now alternating between physical stores and online, IKEA is shifting gears.

“That (Mumbai) will be a super exciting market for IKEA because we have never entered a market like that before,” Patrik Antoni, IKEA’s deputy country manager in India told Quartz. “(Mumbai) has a dense population. Therefore the need for a different solution is (present) there.”

Mumbai is India’s largest city and among the world’s most populated. It is home to the country’s largest population of millionaires with a total wealth of $820 billion. However, it is also the world’s second-most densely populated urban centre with a burgeoning middle class. That makes housing and space a big challenge.

The retail giant began constructing its 4,30,000 square feet store in Turbhe, Navi Mumbai, in May 2017. This IKEA store will serve residents of eight different municipal corporations under the Mumbai metropolitan region, including Thane, Kalyan-Dombivili, and, Navi Mumbai, besides Mumbai itself.

IKEA also plans to launch small-format stores—typically sized between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet—in Mumbai to give shoppers a look and feel of the larger store. Such stores will be digitally connected, offering shoppers an option to place online orders. The company is yet to announce the location of such an outlet.

“There is no land available, you cannot build stores around the city, unlike Delhi, where you can open stores on the outskirts and people can access it,” Antoni added, explaining the need to launch multiple-retail formats in the city.

It’s an approach that analysts agree with. “Mumbai is a large city with a big access problem,” said Aditya Sachdeva, director for retail at real estate consulting firm Knight Frank India. “They cannot serve certain suburbs of Mumbai with just a Navi Mumbai store. There’s traffic and the distances are too long.”

Locations apart, Mumbai’s IKEA stores will also be curated for local needs. The city’s small apartments where residents make the most of cramped spaces—for instance, a single room often doubles up for multiple purposes like sleeping, dining, and even dressing—will serve as an inspiration for the store layout, Antoni said.

And as it expands to more Indian cities, IKEA might replicate its strategy of having smaller stores. In all, the company has outlined a plan to set up to 25 outlets across India over the next decade.
A ban on single-use plastics including cups, bags, and bottles in Mumbai, India, comes into effect. Mumbai is the nation's largest city with such a law, and those in violation face fines and up to three months in prison.