Mukesh Ambani enters coffee business with Pret A Manger to compete with Tata Starbucks

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Brands  is all set to take on Tata Starbucks with the launch of the first store of British sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger in India. The first store has been opened in Maker Maxity in Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai.

In the long run Tata there will be competition for Starbucks. This could pose a risk to the overvaluation of Tata Starbucks, said Avnish Roy, executive director at  Nuvama Institutional Equities. Reliance Brands Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Retail, plans a total of 10  Pret A Manger stores in India in the first year of the partnership.

The new Pret shop will offer customers a wide range of delicious and freshly-made sandwiches, baguettes, salads, soups, as well as a variety of organic coffee, tea, shakes and smoothie options.

Meanwhile, Tata Starbucks, the most dominant player in the space, has 275 stores across 30 cities. The 50:50 JV between Tata Consumer Products and American coffee chain Starbucks launched 50 new stores in FY22, the highest ever in a year for the company.