Reliance Industries (RIL) has acquired brands from Campa maker Pure Drinks Group, and also soft drink brand Sosyo from Surat-based Hajoori, sources told CNBC-TV18 on Wednesday.

Share Market Live

NSE

The moves are part of billionaire chairman Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate’s plan to foray into the soft drinks business. The brands are likely to be relaunched this year, the sources cited above added.

The acquisition of the iconic Campa brand could pit the company against Pepsi, and Coca-Cola in the beverages market.

The development comes two days after Isha Ambani announced that the company’s retail arm Reliance Retail is all set to venture out into the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business.

“The objective of this business is to develop and deliver high quality, affordable products which solve every Indian's daily needs. As part of our commitment to India's rich culture and heritage, we will soon start marketing quality goods produced by tribals and other marginalised communities across India,” she said at RIL’s 45th annual general meeting (AGM) on Monday.

In its latest report, financial services firm Edelweiss said Reliance’s FMCG business must be watched out for as the company said its primary focus would be on five imperatives:

i) enriching customer experience using technology;

ii) integrating with various small merchants;

iii) offering maximum choices to customers;

iv) expanding its current product portfolio;

v) strengthening logistics and supply chain capabilities

At the RIL AGM, Ambani noted that Reliance Retail aims to serve over 7,500 towns and 300,000 villages in the next five years.

“We opened over 2,500 stores in the year to take our store count to over 15,000, spanning an operational area of 42 million square feet,” said Isha.

Commenting on the grocery business, Isha said that it is the largest in India, serving the daily needs of our customers through a network of nearly 2,500 stores and digital commerce platforms, JioMart and Milkbasket. Reliance Retail also launched Freshpik, a gourmet format, in 2021 and rolled out 7-Eleven for on-the-go customers.

In pics: Reliance Retail forays into ultra-premium grocery segment with 'Freshpik' in Mumbai​

She further demonstrated how the WhatsApp-JioMart partnership works, which was launched in 2021, to enhance the shopping experience for customers.

First Published:Aug 31, 2022 10:04 AM IST