Reliance Retail buys 60% of NetMeds parent Vitalic Health for ₹620 crore
Reliance Retail enters e-pharmacy with a majority stake in NetMeds parent Vitalic Health, gaining full ownership of subsidiaries and plans to lift its stake by 2024. The move sets up a direct fight with Amazon, PharmEasy and Medlife amid regulatory uncertainty over online pharmacies.
What happened
Reliance Retail acquired a 60% stake in NetMeds parent Vitalic Health for ₹620 crore, entering e-pharmacy to rival Amazon. Deal grants full ownership of
Key facts
- 60% stake
- ₹620 crore
- 100% ownership of subsidiaries
- FY20 net loss ₹184.3 crore
- NetMeds net loss ₹164.15 crore
- additional 20% by 2024
- 19.59% ownership
Why this matters
Reliance's majority-stake move with a signaled path to full ownership by 2024 tightens the M&A window for NetMeds' rivals and raises the strategic urgency for acquiring or partnering in Indian e-pharmacy assets now.
What to watch
- Court rulings / final e-pharmacy regulations from Indian regulators
- PharmEasy or Medlife funding rounds, M&A or distress signals
- Amazon India pharmacy expansion announcements
- JioMart-NetMeds integration launch and GMV disclosures
- Reliance follow-on stake acquisition confirmation
- Reliance lifts stake toward full ownership by 2024 as planned
- NetMeds deep-integration into JioMart and Reliance Retail loyalty flows
- Aggressive discounting and free-delivery pushes to grab urban market share
- Buildout of last-mile pharmacy fulfillment via existing retail store network
- Amazon and PharmEasy raise capital or expand diagnostics to differentiate