After Campa & SIL, Reliance Acquires Sachet Shampoo Pioneer Velvette

Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL), the FMCG arm of Reliance Industries, has announced the acquisition of another legacy brand, Tamil Nadu-based shampoo maker Velvette, for an undisclosed price. Velvette has been considered a pioneer in selling shampoos in small sachets to make them more affordable, starting in the 1980s.

"Everyone knows how Velvette began, in the context of the Indian sachet revolution, which meant that its products were affordable and accessible to people who wanted to try them," Ketan Mody, COO at Reliance Consumer Products Limited, told CNBCTV-18.

Velvette was manufactured and sold by Chennai-based Chinni Nambi Enterprises (CNE). However, they stopped production after COVID-19. RCPL has acquired the perpetual license of CNE's brands to use across India.

RCPL, in a press meet on Friday, told the media that they would first start selling sachets and shampoos, but plan to start an entire personal care range to sell pan-India. The company is reportedly planning to leave much of the Velvette branding unchanged.

Velvette, founded in 1980 by CK Rajkumar, was known for pioneering India's sachet revolution alongside his brother, CK Ranganathan, the Founder-Chairman of CavinKare. The brand developed a strong presence in South India, maintaining its place on store shelves until production halted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rajkumar passed away in October 2020. Today, his son Arjun leads CNE as CEO, overseeing the marketing and distribution of legacy brands like Nivaran 90, Memory Plus, and Memory Vita.

Reliance's FMCG Acquisition Spree

The acquisition brings another legacy brand into Reliance's kitty after Campa cola, SIL Foods, and Paragon (Pan Pasand brand).

In 2022, Reliance acquired the iconic beverage brand Campa Cola for ₹22 crores, aiming to reintroduce it to the Indian market. In 2023, it acquired a 51% stake in Lotus Chocolate Company, a leading manufacturer of chocolates and cocoa products, to strengthen its presence in the confectionery segment.

A year later, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) bought the confectionery brand Ravalgaon, enhancing its sweets and snacks portfolio. In January 2025, RCPL acquired SIL Food India, a Pune-based company offering products like cooking pastes, jams, mayonnaise, baked beans, and Chinese sauces. This acquisition aims to expand RCPL's footprint in the packaged foods sector.   

According a Morgan Stanley report from December last year, over the past five years, RIL has announced $13 billion in acquisitions with 14% in new energy, 48% in TMT, 9% in retail and increasingly more in healthcare.