● Reliance Retail, a unit of Indian oil-to-chemicals conglomerate Reliance Industries, plans to enter the salon business and is in final stages to buy a roughly 49% stake in Naturals Salon & Spa.  ● Post the deal, if it goes through, the existing promoters of Groom India Salons & Spa could continue running its operations while Reliance's funding would help extend its network.

● Chennai-based Naturals, founded in the early 2000s, aims to run 3,000 salons by 2025.  ● Currently it runs 700 salons across the country.

● This deal is one of many under its Reliance Retail wing. ● The unit recently launched its first in-house premium fashion and lifestyle store and is in advanced talks for the India rights to LVMH-owned beauty chain Sephora.