Reliance Retail acquires majority stake in Alia Bhatt’s Ed-a-Mamma brand

New Delhi: Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd. (RRVL) on Wednesday said it has signed a joint venture agreement to acquire a 51% stake in Ed-a-Mamma, a kid and maternity-wear brand founded by actor Alia Bhatt.

The partnership will see the brand grow into new categories such as personal care and baby furniture, children’s story books and an animated series, RRVL said in a statement announcing the investment. The company did not give financial details of the transaction.

Ed-a-Mamma was founded by Alia Bhatt in 2020 as an apparel brand for 2 to 12-year-olds. It started out as an online brand before expanding its presence offline in department stores. Last year, the brand expanded its range to include maternity wear followed with a line for infants and toddlers.

“At Reliance, we have always admired brands that lead with a strong purpose and embody a unique design ethos exemplified perfectly by Ed-a-Mamma and its founder Alia Bhatt. With sustainability as its core proposition the brand has garnered acclaim for its meticulous attention to detail, using ethically sourced materials and eco-conscious production processes. This aligns seamlessly with Reliance Brands‘ vision of fostering a more responsible future for the fashion industry,” said Isha Ambani, director, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd.

Ed-a-Mamma continues to gain popularity and build the brand with innovative eco-initiatives such as not using plastic buttons to repurposing waste fabric for hair-ties. The brand’s commitment to nurturing a connection with nature is exemplified by its inclusion of seedballs with each garment which encourage kids and parents to interact to participate in building a green future,“

“Isha and I found a wavelength as two new moms discussing what mothers want. I told her what we were already doing at Ed-a-Mamma and how there’s scope to do so much more. She said Reliance can bring strengths in everything from supply chain to retail to marketing. With this joint venture, we look forward to taking Ed- a-Mamma to many more kids and parents and continuing to inspire a love for nature through everything we do,” said Bhatt.

RRVL through its subsidiaries and affiliates, operates an integrated omni-channel network of over 18,500 stores and digital commerce platforms across grocery, consumer electronics, fashion & lifestyle and pharma. It also operates online fashion portal Ajio.com, apart from obtaining rights for brands such as Gap and Pret-a-Manger in India.