The company gains iconic brands Complan, Glucon D and Nycil, which have a legacy of over 50 years
Zydus Wellness one of the reputed players in the fast growing consumer healthcare market, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, Heinz India, jointly with Cadila Healthcare, at a valuation of Rs. 4,595 crores. This valuation includes net working capital of Rs. 40 crores, cash of Rs. 15 crores and assumes no debt. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 FY 19, subject to regulatory approvals.
Heinz India’s business comprises the brands Complan, Glucon D, Nycil and Sampriti Ghee, two large manufacturing facilities in Aligarh and Sitarganj and teams devoted to operations, research, sales, marketing and support. Heinz India also has a strong distribution network of over 800 distributors, more than 20,000 wholesalers covering 29 states. For the four brands, Heinz India recorded revenues of about Rs. 1150 crores and EBIDTA of about Rs. 225 crores for the 12 months period ending 30th June 2018. Following this acquisition, Zydus Wellness will have consolidated revenues of about Rs. 1,700 crores.
The transaction is proposed to be financed by a mix of equity and debt. Select leading private equity firms have committed to partnering the transaction by way of equity support. The transaction is expected to be EPS accretive.
The acquisition has an attractive fit in terms of well-entrenched brands in the fast growing categories of food, nutrition and skin care as well as complementary distribution capabilities. The acquired brands have a strong market presence and a legacy of over 50 years. Glucon D, first launched in 1933, is the leader in the energy drinks segment in India. Complan, a household brand in the health food drink category, was introduced in India in 1969 as a milk based health food drink. Today, Complan is considered to be one of the strongest brands associated with nutrition and health benefits and has a high spontaneous recall of nearly 90 per cent in India. Launched in 1951, Nycil is the number one prickly heat powder with a pan India presence. Sampriti, premium ghee offers immense opportunities for growth in the large retail segment.
Speaking on the development, Dr. Sharvil Patel, Chairman, Zydus Wellness Ltd., said, “This is an exciting time. This development offers immense opportunity to broaden our portfolio and invest in brands and products that we believe are most relevant to health conscious consumers. It leverages our Group heritage, innovation track record, combined brand offerings and capabilities to meet and exceed our consumers’ evolving health and wellness needs. This acquisition will be an ideal addition to Zydus Wellness, supporting our aspirations to grow in the consumer wellness space by providing multiple choices to consumers. We also look forward to welcoming the employees, consumers, partners and all stakeholders of Heinz India to the Zydus family.”
“For our parent company and Zydus Wellness, science and innovation have always been the strength and we strongly believe that we will further enhance value to all these marquee brands. Our ability to merge the consumer and ethical pharma offerings to create a seamless world of wellness will unlock value for these brands.” Dr. Patel added.
With iconic brands like Sugar Free, EverYuth and Nutralite, Zydus Wellness has a strong brand equity in the food, nutrition and skincare markets. This will be the second acquisition for Zydus Wellness following the acquisition of Nutralite, India’s largest selling premium healthy fat spread, in 2006.
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