Reliance Retail to invest $200 mn in delivery firm Dunzo for 25.8% stake

Reliance Retail has bought a 25.8 per cent stake in Dunzo, India's leading quick commerce player, for USD 200 million (around Rs 1,488 crore) as it looks to expand its presence in online grocery delivery business.

Dunzo raised $240 million in its latest funding round that was led by Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd - the retail arm of Reliance Industries.

Existing investors Lightbox, Ligthrock, 3L Capital and Alteria Capital also participated in the funding round.

"This round is a reinstatement of confidence of existing and new investors in Dunzo’s potential and success in creating an exceptional user experience. The capital will be used to further Dunzo’s vision to be the largest quick commerce business in the country, enabling instant delivery of essentials from a network of micro warehouses while also expanding its B2B business vertical to enable logistics for local merchants in Indian cities," the two firms said in a statement.

Currently, Dunzo is available across 7 metro cities in India and the additional capital will be used to expand the quick commerce business to 15 cities. Dunzo launched its instant delivery model ‘Dunzo Daily’ in Bengaluru earlier this year, which is seeing over 20% week on week growth. The Dunzo Daily model delivers daily and weekly essentials within 15-20 minutes, with a focus on providing high quality fruits and vegetables.

In addition to the funding, Dunzo and Reliance Retail will also enter into certain business partnerships. Dunzo will enable hyperlocal logistics for the retail stores operated by Reliance Retail, further adding onto Reliance Retail’s omni-channel capabilities. Dunzo will also facilitate last mile deliveries for JioMart’s merchant network.

Speaking on the investment, Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, said: “We are seeing a shift in consumption patterns to online and have been highly impressed with how Dunzo has disrupted the space. Dunzo is the pioneer of Quick Commerce in India and we want to support them in furthering their ambitions of becoming a prominent local commerce enabler in the country. Through our partnership with Dunzo, we will be able to provide increased convenience to Reliance Retail’s consumers and differentiated customer experience through rapid delivery of products from Reliance Retail stores. Our merchants will get access to the hyperlocal delivery network of Dunzo to support their growth as they move their business online through Jio Mart.”

Kabeer Biswas, CEO and Co-Founder, Dunzo, said: “Since our inception, we have been razor focused on providing an unmatched customer experience and this funding round is a resounding validation of our approach. I am proud of the team for tirelessly building this category over the past three years and grateful to our investors for their continued support. With this investment from Reliance Retail, we will have a long-term partner with whom we can accelerate growth and redefine how Indians shop for their daily & weekly essentials. We’re excited by the traction and velocity that Dunzo Daily has achieved and over the next 3 years, we aim to establish ourselves as one of the most reliable quick commerce providers in the country.”

Morgan Stanley acted as exclusive financial advisor and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas acted as legal counsel to Dunzo. AZB & Partners acted as legal counsel to RRVL and Deloitte, Haskins & Sells LLP provided financial due diligence services.