Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance and Jeff Bezos’s Amazon set to clash on e-pharmacies.

‘Amazon Pharmacy’ will offer both over-the-counter and prescription-based drugs, basic health devices and traditional Indian herbal medicine.

Reliance Retail—through its SMART Point outlets—plans to scale up its grocery and pharmacy platforms. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), through its biotechnology subsidiary, Reliance Life Sciences, is already in the process of setting up pathology labs through local partnerships.

“E-pharmacies is a large market and the retail segment is a fragmented one. However, the market is now ripe for consolidation; thus, large retailers like Amazon and Reliance are keen on this market,” said the CEO of an Indian e-pharmacy firm, on condition of anonymity. He said more retailers are waiting to join the sector amid government focus on healthcare and schemes like Ayushman Bharat, and National Digital Health Mission.

Reliance is expected to announce the acquisition of Chennai-based e-pharmacy startup Netmeds for an estimated $120 million.