Carlyle is one of the potential buyers of Reckitt Benckiser’s infant nutrition business in China, Sky News reported.
The private equity group, one of the world’s largest, is among several buyers preparing offers for the Greater China unit of Mead Johnson before a deadline of Thursday, Sky said.
Yili, one of the biggest existing operators in China’s infant nutrition market, is also expected to bid along with other financial and strategic potential buyers.
The sale is expected to fetch up to $2bn (£1.4bn), which reflects Reckitt’s problems with the business after buying Mead Johnson for almost $18bn in 2017. The birthrate in the world’s most populous country had dropped to its lowest since 1949.
A sale of the business looks overwhelmingly likely, Sky reported, citing people close to Reckitt.
