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Reliance Retail has brought on board Guillaume de Cologne, a senior retail leader from France’s Carrefour Group, to reinforce its grocery division as the company prepares for a public listing expected in 2027–28. The move is widely viewed as part of long-term succession planning for Damodaran Mall, the current chief executive of the grocery business.
Cologne, who joined earlier this year, previously served as chief commercial officer at Carrefour and has held multiple CEO roles across Turkey, Malaysia and Singapore. With over 30 years of experience in global food retail, he is now working across Reliance’s B2B and consumer-facing operations, including supermarkets, small-format stores and JioMart. According to people familiar with the development, he has been tasked with improving store experience and introducing international best practices across formats.
Mall, a retail industry veteran who joined Reliance Retail in 2013 after senior roles at Hindustan Unilever and the Future Group, continues to lead the grocery vertical, with no indication yet of when he plans to step down.
The leadership strengthening comes at a crucial time for Reliance Retail, valued at around $100 billion, according to Axis Securities. Grocery remains the largest contributor to India’s $1.15-trillion retail market, which is projected to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2030. Reliance operates close to 5,000 grocery outlets under brands such as Reliance Smart, Smart Bazaar, Fresh Signature, Freshpik and Metro Cash & Carry, alongside its online arm JioMart.
In FY25, Reliance Retail posted revenue of ₹2.91 trillion and EBITDA of ₹25,094 crore, up 8.6% year-on-year. After consolidating operations last fiscal—including shutting several large stores—the company has resumed expansion, adding more than 400 stores in the September quarter.
Analysts say Cologne’s appointment signals an ambition to elevate operational capability ahead of the IPO but caution that India’s diverse consumer base requires hyperlocal insight. Reliance continues to face competition from DMart, More Retail, Amazon, Spencer’s and Lulu Hypermarket.
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