Reliance Retail picks up 51% in Alia Bhatt’s clothing brand Ed-a-Mamma

• Reliance Retail Ventures picks 51% stake in actor Alia Bhatt’s clothing brand.
• Company plans to enter categories like children's story books and an animated series around the brand.
• Both women join forces to cater to the needs of young mothers and babies.
  

Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) said on Wednesday that it had signed a joint venture with actor Alia Bhatt’s conscious clothing brand of kids and maternity-wear, Ed-a-Mamma. Reliance Retail Ventures will now have a 51% majority stake in the brand.

At the Annual General Meeting last year billionaire Mukesh Ambani and the chairman of Reliance Industries had announced that the retail business would be led by his daughter Isha Ambani. With this announcement, RRVL aims to take the brand on a dynamic growth trajectory by closely collaborating with founder Alia Bhatt and leveraging the management strength of its subsidiary Reliance Brands to spearhead the business.

Ed-a-Mamma founded by Alia Bhatt in 2020 as an apparel brand for 2–12 year-olds, resonated deeply with both young parents and children through its emphasis on natural fabrics and nature themes all designed to inspire a love of nature among children.

Speaking about the joint venture, Alia Bhatt said, “Isha and I found a wavelength as two new moms discussing what mothers want. I told her what we were already doing at Ed-a-Mamma and how there’s scope to do so much more.” She said Reliance can bring strengths in everything from supply chain to retail to marketing. “With this joint venture, we look forward to taking Ed-a-Mamma to many more kids and parents and continuing to inspire a love for nature through everything we do.”

The company also plans to enter into new areas like personal care and baby furniture while retaining its core values of being child-friendly, parent-friendly, and planet-friendly. Also on the anvil is children's story books and an animated series that will breathe life into the enchanting world of Ed-a-Mamma.

From its online debut to its offline presence in department stores, Ed-a-Mamma quickly established itself as a favoured choice among discerning consumers.

Last year, the brand expanded its range to include maternity-wear which was thoughtfully timed to coincide with Alia Bhatt’s pregnancy which was soon followed-up with a line for infants and toddlers — further demonstrating the brand's versatility.

Ed-a-Mamma continues to gain popularity and build the brand with innovative eco initiatives such as not using plastic buttons to repurposing waste fabric for hair-ties.

The brand's commitment to nurturing a connection with nature is exemplified by its inclusion of seedballs with each garment which encourage kids and parents to interact to participate in building a green future.

“At Reliance, we have always admired brands that lead with a strong purpose and embody a unique design ethos exemplified perfectly by Ed-a-Mamma and its founder Alia Bhatt. With sustainability as its core proposition the brand has garnered acclaim for its meticulous attention to detail, using ethically sourced materials and eco-conscious production processes. This aligns seamlessly with Reliance Brands' vision of fostering a more responsible future for the fashion industry,” said Isha Ambani, director, Reliance Retail Ventures.

“Alia’s daughter and my twins are two weeks apart and we pretty much went through our pregnancies at the same time coincidentally wearing Ed-a-Mamma maternity, and now dressing our children in Ed-a-Mamma kidswear, which they love! So, this is special – the product, brand and the partnership are especially close to my heart,” added Isha Ambani on a personal note.