Marks & Spencer’s ready-made curries soon may grace India’s kitchens, after the British retailer held talks with Reliance Industries about selling its food range on the subcontinent.

A source close to Reliance said that M&S was among a group of Western brands that had discussed possible tie-ups with the Indian conglomerate.

Reliance plans to build “seamless malls” - developments that will include “shops within shops” and standalone boutiques – in large Indian cities, including Bombay, Delhi and Bangalore, to appeal to India’s burgeoning middle classes.

M&S has been selling clothing in India since 2001 through a franchise agreement with Planet Retail, an Indian retailer, but it is yet to make an impression in the food market. Recent reports have suggested that John Lewis, which runs the Waitrose super-market chain, is looking at accelerating its Indian expansion, a move that could hasten M&S’s own efforts.

Reliance has also held talks with luxury marques, including Versace, Bulgari and Cartier. The deals that emerge are likely to include joint ventures and franchise arrangements.

“We expect to have something substantial to announce in four to five months,” the source said.

India’s highly fragmented retail industry is estimated to be worth nearly £200 billion a year and is expected to double in value by 2015. However, the prospect of foreign chains entering the market has triggered political concerns amid protests from independent retailers. It also remains unclear whether consumers used to buying fresh produce will have an appetite for processed food.

The latest talks came after Reliance rebuffed partnership approaches from the world’s three largest retailers – Tesco, Carrefour and Wal-Mart - to strike out on its own. India, which is expected to post economic growth of nearly 9 per cent this year, represents a land of opportunity for Western businesses in industries ranging from telecoms to banking. Reaping profits remains challenging, however, as M&S learnt in December, when it was forced to cut the price of adult clothing by up to a third to attract buyers.

M&S said that it had cut prices to position itself as a mid-market retailer in the eyes of Indian consumers, rather than a high-end brand.

Under Indian regulations, M&S could own 51 per cent of a retail joint venture in the country and it is thought to be looking for partners.

In November, Stuart Rose, the group’s chief executive, unveiled a fresh push into international markets, which he expects will account for around 20 per cent of revenue in five years, from less than 10 per cent now. The group plans to enter China on a wholly owned basis and is seeking to trade up to bigger formats of around 40,000 sq ft in India, with a focus on Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore, he said.

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