2016-17: A record year for Indian M&A deals at $61b

This financial year has set a record for mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in India, with deals worth $61.26 billion—more than double the value of transactions last year. In 2015-16, M&A deals were worth $27.62 billion. The sharp increase was a result of both strong foreign buying interest and consolidation underway across sectors including telecom, cement and energy. From Rosneft PJSC’s acquisition of Essar Oil Ltd to the merger agreement between Vodafone India Ltd and Idea Cellular Ltd, 2016-17 has largely been a year of big ticket M&A deals. Inbound deals worth $21.2 billion and domestic deals worth $35.6 billion were reported in the financial year.