Aditya Birla-Led Consortium Buys Full Ownership of Royal Challengers Bengaluru for ₹16,706 Crore
Mar 25, 2026A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) has acquired a 100% stake in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise from United Spirits Limited (USL) for ₹16,706 crore (approximately USD 1.78 billion), marking the largest-ever valuation for an Indian Premier League (IPL) team.
The consortium includes ABG, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy (BXPE). The acquisition covers both RCB’s men’s IPL team and women’s Women’s Premier League (WPL) team, operated by Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL).
United Spirits, a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, announced it had entered definitive agreements to sell its wholly-owned subsidiary, citing RCB as non-core to its operations. The deal highlights the soaring valuations of IPL franchises and the growing interest of corporate and global investors in Indian sports.
RCB, one of the IPL’s most popular teams, now enters a new phase under a diversified ownership group, with potential strategic expansion in both men’s and women’s leagues.
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