From telecom to retail, RIL splurges $3.1 bn in 3 years on acquisitions

With Reliance Industries picking up majority stake in online pharmacy Netmeds, the company has forked out over $3.1 billion in acquisitions in the last three years.

The nature and size of the deals — over 30 in three years — varies. In some, Reliance has acquired only a minority stake, letting the current management run the company. In others, it has picked up the majority or the entire stake to take over the operations itself. Hence, the deal sizes vary — from as low as $5 million (Genesis Colors) to $603 million, which was spent to buy the majority stake in Hathway.

The acquisitions were made in areas which are closely related to Reliance’s key businesses — telecom, internet, retail, digital, media, education, digital, chemicals and energy.