Mumbai: Reliance Industries Limited and Jio Platforms Limited on Saturday announced an investment of Rs 1894.50 crore by L Catterton, one of the world's largest consumer-focused private equity firms.
"This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of R 5.16 lakh crore. L Catterton's investment will translate into a 0.39 per cent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis," a RIL release said. This is an unprecedented tenth investment in Jio Platforms in seven weeks since April 22 this year. The release said it is remarkable that the investments were done amidst a global lock-down, clearly signifying India's digital potential and Jio's business strategy.
With this investment, Jio Platforms has raised Rs 104,326.95 crore from leading global investors including Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG and L Catterton since April 22.
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said, "I am delighted to welcome L Catterton as a partner in our journey to unleash the power of digital for India while providing a consumer experience that is among the best in the world. I particularly look forward to gaining from L Catterton's invaluable experience in creating consumer-centric businesses because technology and consumer experience need to work together to propel India to achieving digital leadership."
Michael Chu, Global Co-CEO of L Catterton, said, "Over our more than 30-year history, we have established a track record of building many of the most important brands across all consumer categories and geographies, from retailers, omni-channel and digitally native brands. We are strong supporters of fostering growth through product development, enhanced digital capabilities and strategic alliances. We look forward to partnering with Jio, which is uniquely positioned to execute on its vision and mission to transform the country and build a digital society for 1.3 billion Indians through its unmatched digital and technological capabilities."
Jio Platforms, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, is a next-generation technology platform focused on providing high-quality and affordable digital services across India, with more than 388 million subscribers, the release said.
It said Jio Platforms has made significant investments across its digital ecosystem, powered by leading technologies spanning broadband connectivity, smart devices, cloud and edge computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, augmented and mixed reality and blockchain.
L Catterton, founded in 1989, is investment partner of choice for leading consumer-focused brands around the world, the release said. "With a 30-year track record of leveraging its operational expertise, deep sector insights, global network of resources, and its unique partnership with LVMH and Groupe Arnault, L Catterton has successfully invested in and helped build some of the most innovative brands at the forefront of the evolving consumer landscape, including Peloton, Vroom, ClassPass, Owndays, FabIndia, and more," it said.
RIL is India's largest private sector company with a consolidated turnover of Rs 659,205 crore ($87.1 billion), cash profit of Rs 71,446 crore ($9.4 billion), and net profit of Rs 39,880 crore ($5.3 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2020.
