As Indians celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali, executives at Wal-Mart India don't have much reason to cheer. The company is still waiting for its big breakthrough in India, a market it has been trying to crack at least since 2007. That's when the American retailer teamed up with one of the top businessmen in the country, Sunil Mittal, to open wholesale stores in India. If all had gone well, that partnership with Bharti Enterprises was supposed to have led to consumer-facing stores, too. Even with the expansion of the cash-and-carry business, Wal-Mart is unlikely to make India a big focus for its retail big-box stores. Despite the easing of restrictions on foreign investment, Wal-Mart and other big retailers still need to have local partners if they want to focus on consumers.