Biyani turns out to be the most successful investor in 2013

With the intention of getting rid of debt, Future Group sold a majority stake

in its fashion retail business Pantaloon to Aditya Birla Nuvo. However, interestingly, group’s head, Kishore Biyani turned out to be the most successful investors in year 2013.

His listed investment firm Future Ventures - now known as Future Consumer Enterprise has registered some big ticket returns through a series of multi-bagger disinvestments. Out of the total Rs 250 crores invested across 12 ventures and JVs since its inception in 2007, group’s three exits alone have brought in Rs 550 crores, more than double the total money invested in all.

While in September, the company ended its six-year old investment in Biba, a women's ethnic wear company gaining over 5.5 times return on its investment. In 2007, it had pumped in Rs 10 crores in the venture and subsequently hiked its shareholding after buying out one of the two promoters for another Rs 32 crores. Two months later, the group divested its five-year old investment in AND Designs with an exit multiple of 24x. In 2008, Biyani partnered with designer Anita Dongre for her women's fashion line with a Rs 6 crore investment. The group wrapped up the third exit, cashing out of Capital Foods, a home-grown processed foods and consumer company for Rs 170 crores, a 3.2 times return on its investment value. The entire 44 percent stake was picked up by a European family office, Artal Investments, and its affiliate PE fund Invus for 170 crores.

Companies in which Biyani had invested, agreed that his group helped them scale up pretty fast even in areas new to the brand. For example, from a Rs 47 crores topline in 2007, in six years Biba's business grew five times at a CAGR of 30 percent to Rs 210 crores and from a single standalone store in Mumbai in 2004, it currently has over 122 exclusive outlets in over 60 cities and is also available across modern retail chains outside the Future Group eco-system. And was also able to scale up to over 350 outlets nationwide. It’s Rs 16 crores turnover in 2008, currently stands 11-times higher with a 62 percent CAGR.