Tata Group looking at stake in IPO-bound BigBasket: Report

Online grocer to raise $200 mn

– Bengaluru-based BigBasket is looking to raise $200 million for a fresh funding round, which could potentially value the startup at nearly $2 billion, according to a report

– It competes with Walmart Inc-owned Flipkart and Amazon’s “Fresh” service as more consumers choose to shop online due to the Covid pandemic

Bengaluru, October 15

Salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group is in talks with Indian online grocery startup BigBasket to buy a stake in the company, a newspaper reported citing people familiar with the matter.

The century-old group has been planning to launch a “super app”, one that will tie in all its consumer businesses, several media reports have said, as it competes against Amazon and Reliance Industries, who have made big bets on India’s booming e-commerce market.

Bengaluru-based BigBasket is looking to raise $200 million for a fresh funding round, which could potentially value the startup at nearly $2 billion, according to the report.

It competes with Walmart Inc-owned Flipkart and Amazon’s “Fresh” service as more consumers choose to shop online due to the Covid pandemic.

“The transaction in all likelihood is a pre-IPO round, and a public listing is expected in 18 months,” the report cited a source as saying, adding Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and private equity Generation Investment Management were in talks to take part in the fund raising.

Temasek Holdings declined to comment, while the firms involved did not immediately respond to request for comments.

Separately, another newspaper report said BigBasket and Tata Group would decide on the deal by the end of October, citing a person close to discussions. — Reuters