Like many companies that had invested in Jio Platforms recently, it is double whammy for Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), too. ADIA had put in Rs 5,512.50 crore (around $750 million) in Jio Platforms, and it has come back again to invest the same amount in Reliance Retail, the eponymous retail arm of Reliance Industries.
ADIA’s investment will translate into a 1.20% equity stake in Reliance Retail on a fully diluted basis.
Reliance Retail operates India’s largest and fastest growing retail business serving close to 640 million footfalls across its 12,000 stores nationwide.
Reliance Retail, through its New Commerce strategy, has started the digitalization of small and unorganised merchants and is committed to expanding the network to over 20 million of these merchants. This will enable the merchants to use technology tools and an efficient supply chain infrastructure to deliver an increased value proposition to their own customers.
Investors confident on Reliance Retail
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said, “The investment by ADIA is a further endorsement of Reliance Retail’s performance and potential and the inclusive and transformational New Commerce business model that it is rolling out.”
Hamad Shahwan Aldhaheri, Executive Director of the Private Equities Department at ADIA, said, “Reliance Retail has rapidly established itself as one of the leading retail businesses in India and, by leveraging both its physical and digital supply chains, is strongly positioned for further growth. This investment is consistent with our strategy of investing in market leading businesses in Asia linked to the region’s consumption-driven growth and rapid technological advancement.”
$5.14 billion in less than four weeks for Reliance Retail
ADIA is the seventh investor to secure a stake in Reliance Retail.
With this investment, Reliance Retail has raised Rs 37,710 crore (around $5.14 billion) from leading global investors including two tranches from Silver Lake (1 and 2), KKR, General Atlantic, Mubadala, GIC, TPG and ADIA in less than four weeks. It has sold about 8.5% stake so far. The market rumour is Reliance Retail will offload only around 10% to 15% stake in the company.
Reliance Retail’s sister company Jio Platforms has raised around $20 billion from 13 big-ticket investors, including Facebook and Google.
It may be recalled that addressing shareholders at Reliance Industries 43rd annual general meeting recently, Mukesh Ambani had said “Reliance Retail has received strong interest from strategic and financial investors.”
Ambani explained his plans to add newer categories like electronics, fashion, pharmaceutical and healthcare into its omni-channel venture, JioMart.
Jio Mart is positioned to take on Walmart-backed Flipkart and the other behemoth in the business Amazon.
