Aditya Birla & TOI Groups, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone acquire RCB for $1.8bn
A consortium including Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone has agreed to acquire Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $1. 78 billion. The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, will see Aryaman Vikram Birla as chairman and Satyan Gajwani as vice-chairman post-IPL 2026.
This acquisition makes RCB the most valuable IPL franchise to date.
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone have signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), current holders of both the Indian Premier League and Women's Premier League titles, from United Spirits Ltd (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo Plc. The transaction has valued the franchise at $1. 78 billion (about Rs 16,600 crore).
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from BCCI, the IPL governing council, and other authorities. Under the new ownership structure, which will come into place after IPL 2026, Aryaman Vikram Birla, director at Aditya Birla Group, will serve as RCB chairman while Satyan Gajwani of The Times of India Group will be vice-chairman. Birla played for Madhya Pradesh and was also part of the Rajasthan Royals squad.
In 2008, when BCCI floated IPL, United Spirits had submitted a winning bid of $111. 6 million (approx Rs 485 crore) to acquire the franchise. In 2023, RCB paid Rs 901 crore to acquire the WPL team.