Nestle India, Dr Reddy's to form joint venture for nutraceutical brands

Nestlé India and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement to form a joint venture (JV) to bring innovative nutraceutical brands to consumers in India and other agreed territories.

Under the agreement, Nestlé India and Dr. Reddy’s will combine their expertise and resources to form a new entity, the JV company. Headquartered in Hyderabad, this venture will merge Nestlé Health Science's global range of nutritional health solutions, vitamins, minerals, and supplements with Dr. Reddy's commercial presence in India.

This collaboration aims to expand their complementary nutraceutical portfolios in areas like metabolic care, hospital nutrition, general wellness, women's health, and child nutrition.

One of the strategies of the joint venture involves licensing select brands from both Nestlé and Dr. Reddy’s to the JV company. Nestlé will license brands such as Nature's Bounty, Osteo Bi-Flex, Ester-C, and Optifast, among others, while Dr. Reddy’s will offer brands like Rebalanz, Celevida, and Antoxid. The JV is expected to be operational by the second quarter of the 2025 financial year.

Speaking on this, Suresh Narayanan, chairman and managing director, Nestlé India stated, “I am very happy to share that we are entering into a joint venture with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. This joint venture is another important step in allowing us to bring our science-backed nutritional solutions to more people across the country. Dr. Reddy’s is a trusted name in the pharmaceutical space and shares our commitment to provide access to high-quality products. This joint venture will enable us to build a robust retail and distribution network to take our brands closer to consumers and make a meaningful difference to improve the quality of life.”

Commenting on the same, M.V. Ramana, chief executive officer – Branded Markets (India & Emerging Markets), Dr. Reddy stated, “This joint venture is a novel approach by two companies that have a shared purpose of good health. We are pleased to partner with Nestlé India to bring innovations from the Nestlé Health Science global portfolio to consumers in India. This novel approach of leveraging mutually complementary strengths of both parent companies will enable better access and affordability for consumers.”