Reliance Retail to acquire majority stake in Just Dial for Rs 3,497 cr

Reliance Retail to acquire majority stake in Just Dial for Rs 3,497 cr

VSS Mani to continue as MD and CEO of Just Dial.

Reliance-Retail

New Delhi: Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd, the retail arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd is all set to acquire a majority stake in internet technology B2B company Just Dial for Rs 3,497 crore.

Reliance Retail will hold 40.9 per cent stake in the company according to the definitive agreements on 16 July, Just Dial said in the regulatory exchange filing on Friday.

VSS Mani will continue as the managing director and chief executive officer to lead Just Dial through the next phase of growth, it added.

"Reliance is excited to partner with Justdial and VSS Mani, a first-generation entrepreneur, who has created a strong business through his business acumen and perseverance," said Reliance Retail director Isha Ambani. "The investment in Just Dial underlines our commitment to New Commerce by further boosting the digital ecosystem for millions of our partner merchants, micro, small and medium enterprises. We look forward to working with the highly experienced management team of Just Dial as we further expand the business going forward.”

According to Just Dial, the capital infused by Reliance Retail will help drive the company's growth and expansion into a comprehensive local listing and commerce platform. Just Dial would expand discovery on its platform and enhance transactions for millions of products and services. These investments will leverage Just Dial’s existing database of roughly 30.4 million listings and its existing consumer traffic of 129.1 million quarterly unique users, said the company.

"Nearly 25 years ago, we had a vision to build a connected single platform dedicated to providing fast, free, reliable and comprehensive information to our users and connect buyers to sellers," said Just Dial, founder and CEO VSS Mani. "Our vision has evolved to not only provide search and discovery but drive commerce across merchants through our B2B platform and enable further consumer to merchant commerce given our platform engagement. Our strategic partnership with Reliance enables us to realise this vision and transform the business going forward.”

The transaction is subject to shareholder and other customary closing conditions and approvals.