M&A activity on a high

In 2016, 388 deals worth $64.5 billion were recorded

India’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in 2016 reached a record in value terms, with 388 deals worth $ 64.5 billion. According to a Mergermarket report, India is increasingly becoming an influential M&A market, accounting for 8.8 per cent of all Asia-Pacific deals - the highest since 2007 (9.4 per cent) and significantly more than the 3.6 per cent market share logged in 2015. Deal value increased 90.5 per cent in 2016, while deal count dropped slightly to 388 across 421 deals. Average deal size increased to $166.2 million, more than double of an average $80.4 million in 2015. The top three deals targeting India in 2016 amounted to $20.6 billion, accounting for 32 per cent of the total value of M&As in India. This increase can also be credited to 24 deals worth over $500 million, compared to only 14 in 2015.