Reliance Retail took Netmeds offline with first Chennai pharmacy store, resurfaced move from January 2023

Resurfacing a January 2023 move, Reliance Retail had extended its digital pharmacy brand Netmeds into physical retail, opening a store in Chennai and signalling an omnichannel push in India’s pharmacy market.

— Filed Thu, 20 Aug, 2026, 11:19 IST · First seen Thu, 20 Aug, 2026, 11:18 IST · Source Inc42 · Quick Commerce

What happened

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

Why this matters

Reliance’s move makes Netmeds a more integrated healthcare platform, increasing the strategic value of partnerships or acquisitions in diagnostics, clinics, loyalty and last-mile pharmacy services.

What to watch

  • Number and location of new Netmeds physical stores over the next two to four quarters.
  • Evidence that stores are connected to online ordering, pickup, hyperlocal delivery or Reliance loyalty programs.
  • Whether Reliance places Netmeds outlets inside existing supermarkets, malls or JioMart-linked neighborhood formats.
  • Changes in pricing, delivery fees, prescription verification practices and chronic-care membership offers.
  • Responses from Apollo Pharmacy, MedPlus, Tata 1mg, PharmEasy and regional pharmacy chains, especially local discounting or faster-delivery offers.
  • State drug-license approvals, pharmacist hiring pace and any regulatory scrutiny of e-pharmacy-to-store integration.
  • Launch additional pilot Netmeds stores in Chennai and other South Indian metros before entering larger national clusters.
  • Integrate Netmeds counters, pickup points or mini-pharmacies into Reliance Smart, JioMart and neighborhood retail locations.
  • Push app-to-store services including prescription upload, refill reminders, click-and-collect, pharmacist consultation and fast delivery from local inventory.
  • Bundle medicines, diagnostics, wellness products and loyalty benefits through Reliance's consumer ecosystem.
  • Use store-level demand data to improve chronic-medication inventory planning and lower delivery costs in dense catchments.