Reliance Retail Acquires Kelvinator to Strengthen Its Hold in Consumer Durables

18 Jul 2025 , 02:07 PM

Reliance Retail has taken over iconic appliance brand Kelvinator, marking another bold step in its strategy to expand across India’s consumer durables space. The acquisition, announced on Friday, signals the company’s deeper push into the consumer durables space, where demand for trusted appliance brands continues to rise.

The deal puts Reliance in control of a legacy brand best remembered for its refrigerators and its punchy ‘The Coolest One’ slogan that caught on in the ’70s and ’80s. With Kelvinator in hand, Reliance is betting on a mix of nostalgia and new-age reach.

The idea isn’t just to revive a name. It’s to fold Kelvinator into Reliance’s existing retail engine, giving it a second life with better pricing, wider access, and sharper product lines. The company sees strong potential in reintroducing the brand to Indian households, especially in the premium home appliances category, where value and reliability matter.

Isha Ambani, who serves as Executive Director at Reliance Retail Ventures, called it a turning point. “This gives us an opportunity to bring global-quality appliances to Indian homes at scale,” she said. “Our nationwide network and service ecosystem are uniquely placed to take a brand like Kelvinator back to where it belongs right at the centre of the home.”

The acquisition also ties into a broader play by Reliance: using scale and supply chain strength to make everyday essentials from groceries to electronics more accessible, especially in smaller cities and towns.

With this move, the company is aiming not just for sales numbers but for category leadership. The focus now shifts to execution how soon Kelvinator returns to store shelves and how well it resonates with a new generation of buyers.

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