 "Alia Bhatt")
Reliance Brands Ltd, a subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures, is holding discussions to acquire actress Alia Bhatt's children's wear brand Ed-a-Mamma for Rs 300-350 crore, according to a report by The Economic Times (ET).
The acquisition is expected to strengthen Reliance's children's wear portfolio, which currently includes the value fashion chain Trends and the India rights to Mothercare. Ed-a-Mamma is an over Rs 150-crore brand that is primarily sold online. According to filings with the Registrar of Companies, Bhatt is a director at Eternalia.
An industry executive was quoted as saying that an agreement between Reliance and Ed-a-Mamma is likely to be signed in the next seven to 10 days. The deal gives Reliance greater leverage in the kidswear market, the executive added.
Ed-a-Mamma was launched in 2020 and later extended its product line to include teenage and maternity wear. Ed-a-Mamma is available on e-commerce platforms such as Myntra, Ajio, FirstCry, Amazon, and Tata CliQ and has its own webstore. It is also sold through retail chains such as Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop. The brand's products are made from sustainable materials and are designed to be environmentally friendly.
Reliance Brands is a retail venture of the Reliance Group that partners with luxury and high-premium fashion brands such as Armani Exchange, Burberry, Bally, Canali, Diesel, Gas, Hugo Boss, Hamleys, and Jimmy Choo.
Recently, Reliance Retail has made several attempts to increase its share of the online retail market in India. The company is also in talks to bring back Shein, a Chinese fast fashion brand, to India. Shein was banned in India in 2020 due to border tensions with China, but Reliance has reportedly secured approval from the Indian government to bring the brand back. The deal is said to be stringent, and Shein will likely have to manufacture its products in India.
