Reliance Retail resurfaces January 2023 move: Netmeds' first Chennai pharmacy store

Resurfacing a January 2023 development, Reliance Retail had opened a Netmeds store in Chennai, extending its digital pharmacy brand into physical retail and marking its entry into offline pharma retail.

— Filed Thu, 20 Aug, 2026, 14:50 IST · First seen Thu, 20 Aug, 2026, 14:49 IST · Source Inc42 · Quick Commerce

What happened

Reliance Retail entered offline pharmaceutical retail by opening a Netmeds store in Chennai, extending the digital pharmacy brand into physical retail.

Key facts

  • January 30, 2023

Why this matters

Reliance’s move into offline pharma raises the strategic value of partnerships or acquisitions that add licensed store networks, diagnostic services and last-mile healthcare capabilities.

What to watch

  • Number and geography of Netmeds store openings over the next two to four quarters.
  • Whether the Netmeds app introduces store pickup, hyperlocal delivery or local-store inventory features.
  • Evidence of diagnostics, doctor consultation, vaccination or chronic-care services at stores.
  • Hiring of licensed pharmacists, regional pharmacy operators or healthcare supply-chain personnel.
  • Changes in Reliance Retail's medicine assortment, private-label health portfolio or procurement partnerships.
  • Regulatory developments affecting e-pharmacy operations, prescription verification and pharmacy ownership structures.
  • Competitive offline-online responses from Tata 1mg, Apollo Pharmacy, PharmEasy and major regional chemist chains.
  • Open additional Netmeds outlets in Chennai before expanding to Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi NCR.
  • Integrate store inventory with the Netmeds app for prescription pickup, same-day delivery and real-time local stock visibility.
  • Use the physical format to push private-label wellness, OTC, personal care, devices and nutrition products with higher margins than prescription drugs.
  • Add diagnostics partnerships, teleconsultation access, chronic-care refill reminders and pharmacist-assisted services.
  • Leverage Reliance Retail's sourcing, real estate and Jio customer ecosystem to lower customer-acquisition and fulfilment costs.