Brands
DSM Fresh Foods steps into ready foods with Avyom acquisition
MUMBAI: DSM Fresh Foods Limited has cooked up its next phase of growth. The ZappFresh parent has approved the acquisition of a 51 per cent controlling stake in Avyom Foodtech Private Limited, marking its formal entry into the fast-growing ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods space.
The move signals a clear shift from being a fresh foods specialist to becoming a broader food solutions player. Through this acquisition, DSM Fresh Foods gains immediate access to processed foods, export-ready infrastructure and a running manufacturing operation, without the long wait or heavy costs of building from scratch.
The deal involves a cash infusion of around Rs 7.5 crore by DSM Fresh Foods through a preferential allotment of shares in Avyom Foodtech. The structure allows room for future strategic investors at the Avyom level, ensuring long-term alignment while keeping growth capital flexible and disciplined.
As part of the transaction, Avyom Foodtech has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the operating business of Ambrozia Frozen Foods through a slump sale. The acquisition brings with it about five acres of land, a fully functional food processing facility and plant and machinery, along with identified liabilities such as bank borrowings and trade payables. Funds will be deployed in phases in line with the business transfer plan.
The strategic appeal is straightforward. DSM Fresh Foods steps straight into high-demand RTE and RTC categories, gains access to FSSAI-approved manufacturing and taps into export markets from day one. The acquired business has historically clocked peak annual revenues of about Rs 16 crore, offering a ready base for scaling up.
Commenting on the development, DSM Fresh Foods managing director Deepanshu Manchanda, said the acquisition marks a turning point for the company. He noted that buying a running, compliant and export-ready operation sharply reduces execution time while strengthening unit economics and long-term value creation.
Avyom Foodtech, incorporated in 2022, is engaged in manufacturing and exporting a wide range of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products including frozen foods, snacks, gravies and sauces. Ambrozia Frozen Foods, whose business is being acquired, operates an export-compliant facility with a capacity of around 15 tonnes per day and a portfolio of over 150 SKUs. Its customer list spans institutional buyers and QSR players, with exports to Canada, the UK and the UAE.
For DSM Fresh Foods, best known for its technology-led approach to sourcing and delivering quality meat and food products under the ZappFresh brand, the deal adds a new layer to its story. Fresh may still be its foundation, but ready food is now firmly on the menu.
Brands
Reliance Retail FY26 revenue rises 11.8 Per Cent to Rs 3.7 lakh crore
Q4 revenue up 11.1 Per Cent, hyperlocal orders surge 4x, PAT steady
MUMBAI: Reliance Retail isn’t just ringing up sales, it’s ringing doorbells faster than ever. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) reported a steady FY26 performance, with growth powered by store expansion, a sharp surge in hyperlocal commerce, and consistent traction across grocery, fashion and jewellery. For the full year, revenue rose 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,70,026 crore. In the January–March quarter, revenue from operations climbed 11.1 per cent to Rs 87,344 crore, up from Rs 78,622 crore a year earlier.
Operating performance remained stable, with Q4 EBITDA inching up 3.1 per cent YoY to Rs 6,921 crore from Rs 6,711 crore. However, quarterly profit after tax held steady at Rs 3,563 crore. For the full fiscal, PAT grew 11.7 per cent to Rs 13,842 crore.
Expansion remained a key lever. RRVL added 1,564 new stores during FY26, while simultaneously scaling its digital and hyperlocal commerce play. The latter emerged as a standout, with daily orders surging more than fourfold year-on-year in Q4, underlining a clear shift towards faster, localised fulfilment.
In grocery, large-format stores maintained momentum, aided by festive demand and the expansion of Smart Bazaar, which crossed 1,000 stores. Promotional campaigns such as ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ delivered record results, with sales rising 26 per cent YoY.
Digital commerce also picked up pace. JioMart added 5.8 million new users in Q4, nearly doubling its registered base year-on-year. Hyperlocal orders grew 29 per cent sequentially and over 300 per cent annually during the quarter.
Fashion and lifestyle saw steady traction. Ajio recorded a 23 per cent YoY rise in average bill value, while fast-fashion platform Shein crossed 11 million app installs, scaling rapidly with expanding product lines.
The jewellery business added further shine, with average bill value jumping 53 per cent YoY, largely driven by rising gold prices and sustained consumer demand.
Commenting on the shift, RRVL executive director Isha Ambani said hyperlocal commerce has become a structural growth driver, with orders rising more than fourfold over the year.
Looking ahead to FY27, the company is betting on technology to deepen engagement. The focus, Ambani noted, will be on AI-led merchandising, sharper pricing strategies and disciplined execution turning scale into sustained customer value.
In short, the carts are fuller, the clicks are quicker, and the next phase looks less about reach and more about precision.
