IANS | 02 Apr, 2024
The Board of Directors of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL)
on Monday authorised the management of the company to evaluate the
vertical demerger of the Madura Fashion & Lifestyle business from
the ABFRL into a separate listed company.
The proposed demerger
will enable the creation of two separately listed companies as
independent growth engines with distinct capital structures and parallel
value creation opportunities, ABFRL said.
The Madura Fashion
& Lifestyle (MFL) business segment consisting of four lifestyle
brands, namely Louis Phillippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, and Peter
England, along with casual wear brands American Eagle and Forever 21,
sportwear brand Reebok and the innerwear business under Van Heusen will
be demerged into a separate listed entity.
The entity will have a
strong balance sheet to power its future growth aspirations. Post the
necessary approvals, the demerger will be implemented through an NCLT
scheme of arrangement, and all the shareholders of ABFRL will have
identical shareholding in the newly-formed entity, the company said.
Post
the demerger, the remaining ABFRL will be focused on high-growth
segments where there are tailwinds from a shift from unbranded to
branded, premiumisation, rise of super premium and luxury, and rapid
growth in Gen Z-focused digital-first brands.
After the completion
of the proposed demerger, ABFRL will raise growth capital within 12
months to infuse strength into its balance sheet.
Kumar Mangalam
Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, “Over the years, our fashion
and retail business has grown from five brands in two categories to a
dynamic portfolio of 20+ brands across all lifestyle categories.
"As
the platform embarks on its next transformational phase of growth,
there is scope to re-evaluate the capital structures to optimise the
different parts of the portfolio. The move towards a more simplified and
streamlined architecture is designed to unlock distinct opportunities
for value creation. This strategic realignment is poised to
significantly enhance the long-term stakeholder value.”
Shares of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail were up 3 per cent in trade on Monday at Rs 211.70.