Indian merger and acquisition (M&A) deals for the first quarter of 2019 reached $25.8 billion, declining 16.9% in value compared to the corresponding quarter of 2018. However, it was elevated compared to historical levels. The number of deals, too, fell 12.9% from a year ago. The financial sector contributed 43.6%, or $11.3 billion, to the M&A deals in the first quarter. This is an increase of 5.9% compared to the year-ago period and is the highest-ever quarterly period for the sector. PE-backed M&A in industrials at $1.6 billion accounted for 37.3%—a 10-fold increase in value from a year ago when it was $155.1 million. Inbound M&As rose 17% year-on-year, with deals involving foreign firms acquiring Indian firms reaching $7 billion, the highest since 2017. Outbound M&As, however, fell 32% compared to the first quarter of last year to stand at $1.2 billion. India’s outbound acquisitions focused on the healthcare sector with a deal value of $355 million.

(Live Mint)