Overview
- Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla posted that RCB is a “great team” at the right valuation, a remark widely read as interest in a potential acquisition.
- United Spirits, which owns RCB for Diageo, told exchanges it will not comment on market speculation, offering no confirmation of any sale process.
- Multiple outlets report Citi as transaction adviser and say bidders, including Poonawalla, prefer full ownership, with negotiations described as ongoing.
- Bloomberg first flagged a possible sale in June with valuations near $2 billion, a figure that would top recent IPL deals such as Torrent’s majority purchase of Gujarat Titans.
- Diageo India’s chief has called RCB non-core as regulatory scrutiny of alcohol promotion in sports grows, with reputational risk also underscored by the June Bengaluru stampede that CAT linked to RCB.