Reuters reveals Reliance Retail’s private labels spook global consumer goods makers

On the shelves of supermarkets owned by India’s Reliance Retail, little-known food and home cleaning brands take pride of place alongside global labels owned by giants Nestle, Unilever and Coca-Cola. Products like Snac tac noodles and Yeah! colas are Reliance’s private label brands – and, as Reuters revealed, billionaire owner Mukesh Ambani’s not-so-secret weapons as he sets his sights on dominating a grocery market that’s already worth $608 billion and set to grow more than 20% by 2024. Already India’s biggest retailer, even as a $3.4 billion deal to buy no. 2 player Future Retail awaits clearance, Reliance has “immense focus” on private labels. That focus has already made some consumer goods firms in India uneasy, Reuters sources said.