India Inc clocks $1.1-bn M&As in 38 deals

India Inc saw resilient private equity (PE) investments amid elections as the month of May witnessed 145 deals worth $6.7 billion, a report showed on Thursday. The key sectors like real estate, e-commerce, healthcare, and financial services saw a surge in investments, according to the report by Grant Thornton Bharat Dealtracker.

“The surge in PE deal values, driven by investments in select sectors despite stable volumes, signals resilience in the market,” said Shanthi Vijetha, Partner, Growth at Grant Thornton Bharat.

“The policy and reform direction of the new government will be pivotal in shaping the investment climate and driving future deal activity,” Vijetha added.

The mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape saw 38 deals at $1.1 billion. The top deal was Google’s investment in Flipkart for $350 million. The PE landscape saw 99 deals and deal values surged by 49 per cent to $4 billion, the second-highest monthly deal value after January, driven by nine high-value deals exceeding $100 million each.

The top PE deal was Brookfield India Real Estate Trust's substantial investment of $723 million in Bharti Enterprises.In May, the IPO landscape saw significant activity, with five IPOs raising a total of $1.2 billion.

Additionally, the QIP (qualified institutional placement) landscape included three QIPs, which collectively raised $0.5 billion.The retail sector topped in deal volumes, primarily due to two high-value e-commerce deals totalling $625 million, the report mentioned.