India has emerged as one of the top countries with respect to merger and acquisition deals. In 2007, the first two months alone accounted for merger and acquisition deals worth $40 billion in India. The estimated figures for the entire year projected a total of more than $ 100 billions worth of mergers and acquisitions in India. This is two fold growth from 2006 and a growth of almost four times from 2005.
Mergers and Acquisitions in different sectors in India
In the banking sector, important mergers and acquisitions in India in recent years include the merger between IDBI (Industrial Development bank of India) and its own subsidiary IDBI Bank. The deal was worth $ 174.6 million (Rs. 7.6 billion in Indian currency). Another important merger was that between Centurion Bank and Bank of Punjab. Worth $82.1 million (Rs. 3.6 billion in Indian currency), this merger led to the creation of the Centurion Bank of Punjab with 235 branches in different regions of India.
In the telecom sector, an increase of stakes by SingTel from 26.96 % to 32.8 % in Bharti Telecom was worth $252 million (Rs. 10.9 billion in Indian currency). In the Foods and FMCG sector a controlling stake of Shaw Wallace & Company was acquired by United Breweries Group owned by Vijay Mallya. This deal was worth $371.6 million (Rs. 16.2 billion in Indian currency). Another important one in this sector, worth $48.2 million (Rs 2.1 billion in Indian currency) was the acquisition of 90% stake in Williamson Tea Assam by McLeod Russell India In construction materials 67 % stake in Ambuja Cement India Ltd was acquired by Holcim, a Swiss company for $634.9 million (Rs 27.3 billion in Indian currency).
Mergers and Acquisitions in India in 2007
Some of the important mergers and takeovers in India in 2007 were -- Mahindra & Mahindra acquired 90% stake in the German company Schoneweiss.
- Corus was taken over by Tata
- RSM Ambit based at Mumbai was acquired by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
- Vodafone took over Hutchison-Essar in India.
