Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Share Price Live

History of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. (ABFRL), earlier known as Pantaloons Fashion & Retail Ltd, was formed through the consolidation of the branded apparel businesses of Aditya Birla Group in May 2015. These included Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd.’s (ABNL) Madura Fashion division and the subsidiaries of ABNL, such as Pantaloons Fashion & Retail Limited (PFRL) and Madura Garments Lifestyle Retail Company Limited (MGLRCL). Post the consolidation, PFRL was renamed Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited with effect from January 12, 2016.

On May 13, 2016, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) announced that it had garnered an exclusive deal to bring the Simon Carter designer wear brand into India. On November 4, 2016, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) announced that it had signed an exclusive deal with the UK’s most successful fashion brand, Ted Baker’. In 2017, ABFRL entered into a strategic alliance with American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., a leading global speciality retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices.

In 2018, the company also entered into a Store License and Distribution Agreement with Ralph Lauren Asia Pacific Ltd (RLAPL). This involved obtaining the brand names ‘Polo Ralph Lauren’, ‘Ralph Lauren’ and such other name(s) as may be designated by RLAPL from time to time.

In FY 2020, the company acquired the Jaypore brand and forged a partnership with Shantanu & Nikhil for occasion wear. In FY 2021, the company enriched its portfolio with new partnerships with two of India’s most iconic designers, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Tarun Tahiliani. In FY 2022, the company announced two new organic forays, namely Marigold Lane, a premium women’s ethnic wear brand and Tasva, a premium men’s ethnic wear brand. It worked towards diversifying its merchandise and is enhancing its men’s wear offerings alongside women’s wear. In 2022-23, the company added more than 500 stores and expanded the network to 3977 stores, including 431 Pantaloons stores. It acquired Reebok India business through the signing of agreements in FY 2022.

Business Segments

The company is divided into two different business divisions:

1. Madura Fashion & Lifestyle (60% of revenues)

The segment’s portfolio includes several brands, such as Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, Van Heusen and Peter England, many of whom have established brands for over 25 years in the domestic market.

Its international brands portfolio also comes under this division, which includes The Collective and select mono-brands such as Simon Carter, Hackett London, Ted Baker, Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, and Fred Perry. It also holds online and offline rights to the India network of California-based fast fashion brand Forever 21.

2. Pantaloons (40% of revenues)

The company acquired Pantaloons from the Future Retail Group in 2012. Pantaloons is one of the most trusted fashion retail brands in the country. It caters to the fashion and lifestyle needs of young aspirational Indian consumers in a modern retail environment.

Subsidiaries

As of March 31, 2023, the company has 14 subsidiaries. The following are some of the major subsidiaries of ABFRL:

1. Sabyasachi Calcutta LLP – ABFRL bought 51% of this textile company to turn it into its subsidiary in 2021.
2. Bewakoof Brands Private Limited – ABFRL bought 85.17% of this company effective from February 2023. It is an online shopping platform for clothing, shoes, bags, etc.
3. House of Masaba Lifestyle Private Limited – ABFRL bought 52.44% of this company in 2022. It is engaged in the business of luxury clothing, jewellery, etc. 
4. Imperial Online Services Private Limited – It is engaged in online sales of Western apparel. ABFRL bought 55% of this company in 2022.

Key Personnel

Ashish Dikshit, Managing Director

Mr. Dikshit has over 30 years of experience in diverse roles across industries and functions. He started his career at Asian Paints before moving to the Madura Fashion and Lifestyle Division of the Company, where he worked in its various functions ranging from Sales, Brand Management, Supply Chain and Sourcing over 15 years. He also served as Principal Executive Assistant to Chairman of Aditya Birla Group. He was appointed President of its MFL Division in 2007 and went on to become its CEO in 2012.

Corporate Actions

The following are the major corporate actions undertaken by the company:

Rights Issue

The company performed a rights issue with a record date of July 1, 2020.

Mergers and Acquisitions

• In 2023, the company acquired a 52.44% stake in House of Masaba Lifestyle Private Limited, making it a subsidiary of the company.