Mumbai, March 24 (NationPress) A consortium spearheaded by the Aditya Birla Group and Times Internet Limited has successfully acquired the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the reigning champions of both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women's Premier League (WPL), for a staggering INR 16,660 crore. This announcement was made to regulatory authorities on Tuesday.

The franchise's current owners, United Spirits Ltd, disclosed this information in required regulatory filings with the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.

Joining the consortium are Bolt Ventures and Blackstone's perpetual private equity strategy (BXPE), making it a collective effort to acquire one of the original eight franchises established ahead of the inaugural IPL season in 2008.

The decision to divest its entire 100% equity stake in Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited received approval from the board of United Spirits Limited, which is owned by Diageo India, a subsidiary of the UK-based Diageo plc. This decision was reached during a board meeting held on Tuesday.

In a statement to regulatory bodies, the company noted, "We wish to inform you that the board of directors of United Spirits Limited at its meeting held today, i.e., March 24, 2026, has inter alia approved the sale of 14,690 equity shares of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of USL, for an aggregate consideration of INR 166.6 billion, pending adjustments and conditions outlined in the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) dated March 24, 2026, executed among USL, RCSPL, and other investors."

"Upon the successful completion of the Proposed Transaction as per the SPA, which is subject to customary conditions including the necessary approvals from the Competition Commission of India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, USL will relinquish its shareholding in RCSPL, effectively ceasing to be a subsidiary of USL," the company stated.

Reports indicate that under the new ownership structure, Aryaman Vikram Birla, Director at the Aditya Birla Group, is set to become Chairman, while Satyan Gajwani of Times Internet Limited will assume the role of Vice Chairman. The consortium also features David Blitzer, founder of Bolt Ventures, and Viral Patel, CEO of BXPE.

In November 2025, Diageo plc had placed RCB on the market, leading to significant interest from various potential buyers, including Adar Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India. Ultimately, the company engaged in one-on-one negotiations, resulting in this consortium's successful bid.

RCB is unique as the first and only franchise to simultaneously hold the titles of IPL and WPL champions. The men's team clinched their inaugural IPL title in 2025, while the women's team secured their second WPL title in February 2026.

The franchise was initially acquired by United Spirits Limited, then under the control of the former liquor baron Vijay Mallya. Diageo plc took ownership of the RCB franchise following its acquisition of United Spirits from Mallya.