Reliance Said to Be Taking Control of Future Retail Stores

Reliance Industries has effectively taken over the operations of Future Retail stores and has offered jobs to its employees, even as the Kishore Biyani-led group is locked in a bitter battle with e-commerce major Amazon at several judicial forums over the sale of its business to the retail arm of the oil-to-telecom conglomerate.

Reliance Retail has started to take possession of the premises in which Future Retail is operating its stores such as Big Bazaar and replaced them with its brand stores, said sources close to the development. It has also started to offer jobs to employees of Future Retail stores and bring them on Reliance Retail's payroll, they added.

After the deal was announced in August 2020, several landlords approached Reliance as Future Retail was unable to pay the rent. After this, Reliance signed leased agreements with these landlords and wherever possible, it sub-leased these premises to Future Retail Limited (FRL) so that its business could continue, the sources added.