Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL), the FMCG arm of Reliance Retail, is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in Shunya, the premium fruit drink brand owned by Baidyanath Group’s Naturedge Beverages, according to sources cited by The Economic Times.
Shunya is positioned in the fast-growing zero-sugar functional beverage category and offers health-conscious consumers herb-infused drinks in flavours such as ‘Zesty Apple’ and ‘Zesty Orange’. The financial contours of the deal—including the stake size and valuation—are yet to be finalised.
If completed, this will mark RCPL’s fourth beverage acquisition after Campa, Sosyo, and RasKik. Industry watchers see this acquisition spree as part of Reliance’s strategy to craft a full-spectrum beverage portfolio to challenge global incumbents such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in India’s Rs 70,000 crore+ soft drinks market.
The functional drinks segment—especially zero-calorie and low-sugar variants—is gaining traction in urban India as consumers increasingly opt for wellness-centric offerings over traditional sugary sodas.
Reliance has been aggressively expanding its consumer playbook, deploying capital across verticals to strengthen its retail and FMCG backbone. Over the past three years, the conglomerate has pumped in over $2.4 billion across telecom, internet, digital services, education, media, chemicals, and retail.
RCPL’s growing beverage portfolio underscores its intent to build a pan-India presence across both legacy and emerging FMCG categories—from affordable nostalgia brands to contemporary health-forward products.
