Dive Brief:

• Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced Wednesday that it will conclude its current business partnership in India, halting plans to expand in the country.
• The company will continue its wholesaling joint venture in India, but it will buy out its partner Bharti Enterprises.
• Wal-Mart Asia CEO Scott Price cited a "a level playing field issue," explaining that government regulations have made it impossible for his company to pursue retail operations there.

Dive Insight:

The Bharti-Wal-Mart split comes as little surprise to those who have been watching the situation. India wants to protect its small businesses, but big-box retailers have found the market to be difficult to penetrate as a result. Someone else will just have to find a way to sell things to 1.2 billion people.