Amazon-backed More Retail considering IPO to raise up to $500 mn: Report

More Retail Pvt., an Indian grocery chain backed by Amazon.com Inc., is considering an initial public offering that could value the company at as much as $5 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The company is weighing a first-time share sale in Mumbai as early as June, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information isn’t public. More Retail could raise as much as $500 million in a listing, which would consist largely of new shares, one of the people said.

Witzig Advisory Services Pvt. acquired More Retail in 2019 from billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla’s Aditya Birla Group, according to the retail chain’s website. Witzig is owned by Amazon and Samara Capital Partners.

Deliberations are at an early stage and details such as the timing and size could change, the people said. A representative for Samara Capital declined to comment, while a representative for More Retail did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The 25-year-old company operates more than 600 retail stores including supermarkets and hypermarkets, selling groceries and daily household products from cooking oil to Indian spices, the website shows.

More Retail would join a strong pipeline of Indian companies considering IPOs next year. State-backed insurance giant Life Insurance Corp. of India, as well as Flipkart Online Services Pvt., the Indian e-commerce firm controlled by Walmart Inc. and digital education startup Byju’s are among the firms preparing for first-time share sales.

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.

As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.

Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.

Digital Editor