India M&A activity saw a robust start in the first quarter of this year with the value of deals doubling to $17.9 billion. In the corresponding three months a year ago, the deals were valued at $9.2 billion. India’s market share grew significantly in the Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) region comprising 13.2 per cent of the total regional deal value, the highest proportion across all quarters since 2013. The telecom sector attracted deals worth $13.6 billion from three deals in the January-March period, as compared to only $60 million from two deals a year ago. Energy, Mining & Utilities (EMU) was the second biggest M&A sector by deal value with $1.5 billion in January-March, attracting 11 deals. Out of the 14 deals worth $597 million announced during the first quarter of this year, 10 were made by foreign investors. These 10 deals contributed $332 million in total to inbound M&A in India, up 3.2 times by value from $105 million from only two deals in the same period last year.

(Business Standard)