The Tata group will acquire 64.3 per cent stake in bigbakset, according to filings with the Competition Commission of India. The acquisition will be by Tata Digital, which is spearheading the Group’s e-commerce push.
While the deal would help Tatas compete with retail giants such as Reliance Retail, Flipkart and Amazon, it would also mark the exit of Alibaba from bigbasket. This is part of the Tata plan to launch a super app offering multiple products and services. The Tatas are also in talks for a stake in 1mg.
“Both the online retail and online medicine are booming sectors with huge growth potential and burgeoning customer base. - Therefore, this acquisition will provide them with the access to new customer base, their digital traces iI.e. digital data and data is the new oil that will fuel new industries,” Kapoor added.
According to Anuj Kapoor Assistant Professor (Marketing) at IIM-A, digital service, data consolidation and privacy considerations are at heart of the Tata strategy.
“The primary drivers are providing coherent digital service (I.e. super app) and a uniform omni channel retailing experience (e.g. Star Bazaar and StarQuik service),” Kapoor said.