India's been the world’s ‘deal central’ with companies having signed $25bn worth deals this year!

The Indian Merger and Acquisition (M&A) activity slightly declined. The M&A during January-September period reached USD 25.65 billion.

As per tax and advisory firm, Grant Thornton, there were 428 M&A transactions worth USD 25.65 billion during January-September, as against 434 deals worth USD 26.90 billion in the year-ago period.

The slight decline year-on-year was because of smaller domestic deal size and fewer restructurings.

"M&A remained relatively the same as last year both in terms of value and volume. Most part of the M&A deal value has actually come from inbound investments where USD 12.6 billion has been infused thereby demonstrating a growth of almost 40 per cent in value terms," Grant Thornton India LLP Partner Prashant Mehra said.

There were 230 domestic deals worth USD 6.91 billion, a decline both in terms of number and value of transactions. There were six mergers and internal restructuring worth USD 1.32 billion. In January-September 2014, there were 33 such transactions worth USD 3.31 billion.

As per the firm, in terms of sector spread, M&A activity was driven by energy and natural resources contributing 32% of deal values along with IT & ITeS and pharma and healthcare together contributing another 32%.

"Indian assets are expected to remain in focus as Inbound and Domestic M&As accelerate on the back of pickup in alternate buy out financing by PEs, and increased capital market activity - both volume and value will clearly be on an uptrend here," Mehra said.

Moreover, visibility of economic growth and reforms will push domestic corporates to look at inorganic growth means, Grant Thornton stated.

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