Alia Bhatt and Reliance Retail-backed Ed-A-Mamma has ventured into the kids and baby personal care category, with plans to tap other segments, such as teenage clothing and pet care, the actor and entrepreneur told Mint in an interview on Friday.
Bhatt outlined plans to accelerate her pace of investments in startups with an interest in categories such as sports, comfort wear, and food and beverages through conscious and mindful associations. She is already an investor in companies such as beauty retailer Nykaa (Fsn E-Commerce Ventures Ltd), wellness brand Phool (Kanpur Flowercycling Pvt. Ltd) and baby diaper brand Superbottoms (Navashya Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd).
“Like most fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) categories, personal care is a fast-growing segment in a very crowded market. But the dream is for Ed-A-Mamma to be a one-stop shop for all things related to the child and mother in terms of wear, care, growth, and entertainment,” Bhatt said. The new product range spans baby wash, oil, lotion, talc-free powder and rash balm, among others.
In 2025, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd acquired a 51% stake in Ed-a-Mamma to tap into new categories, including personal care, baby furniture, children’s storybooks, and an animated series.
“Venturing into personal care just felt like the first thing we needed to do after the Reliance acquisition happened because we needed the support and might of the company to get into this large and crowded category,” Bhatt said.
The company introduced its first book for children called The Adventures of Ed-A-Mamma and is currently in the process of launching two more books.
India’s baby care market is projected to grow from about $34 billion in 2023 to an estimated $60-66 billion by 2028, according to consulting firm Redseer. With the share of the organized segment increasing, the market growth is driven by rising awareness of childcare, increasing disposable incomes, urbanization, and a young, tech-savvy population.
Investment plans
She also highlighted plans to re-enter the teenage wear and care category. “We did a soft launch with a limited drop of the teenage range called Ed-Heads, which we discontinued later as we felt that we needed more time and energy. We also need more capital to really invest in that properly,” Bhatt said, adding that this is a category she’s “excited” to explore. “We want to take our time with identifying what the product for our teens range is and what the need is at the time when we go about this segment.”
“There is also a dream to venture into pet care. The aim is to make it an experience-led brand and make all our products extremely accessible and affordable,” she added. For context, some of the prominent pet care startups include Heads Up for Tails, Drools, JustDogs, and Supertails.
Bhatt further explained that the idea is not to grow fast but in a measured and sustainable way. “We grow slowly with baby steps and building trust. Over the years, we’ve moved to each and every next step or new vertical that we’ve added with a lot of time and effort going into what we’ve already created,” she said.
Talking about her investment thesis, Bhatt emphasized that every company she backs has to fill a gap that speaks to the consumer’s need for not just today but also a decade from now.
Some of the categories that are of interest include sports and active wear. “I feel the younger generation, while seeking comfort and leisure, is also into physical activity. They want something that they can work in and also run and jump in, as in the case of active wear. Other categories like food and beverage are also very interesting and fast growing,” Bhatt said.
Founded in 2020, Ed-A-Mamma is an apparel brand catering to children aged 2 to 12 years old. It started out as an online brand before expanding offline. Over time, it expanded its range to include maternity wear, followed by a line for infants and toddlers. The company continues to gain popularity and build its brand through innovative, eco-friendly initiatives, such as eliminating plastic buttons and repurposing waste fabric for hair ties.
