India's Reliance Retail may form JV with M&S-paper

MUMBAI, Feb 25 (Reuters) - India's Reliance Retail is in talks with Britain's leading clothing retailer Marks & Spencer (MKS.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) for an equal joint-venture for apparel, gourmet food and cafes, the Economic Times said on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

A deal could be reached in the next three weeks, the paper said without attributing it to a source.

A spokesman for Reliance Industries (RELI.BO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), India's most-valuable listed firm which owns Reliance Retail, could not be reached immediately.

Clair Foster, Marks & Spencer's spokesperson in London, declined to comment, the paper said. (Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by John Mair)