The latest edition of the Dealtracker highlights a strong start to 2025, marked by multi-year highs in deal volumes and values across mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Domestic transactions dominated M&A activity, while inbound cross-border interest reflected growing investor confidence. Private equity maintained its momentum, with notable activity in consumer, financial services, technology, and energy sectors, supported by large-ticket investments. While IPO and QIP activity declined sharply, broader deal sentiment remained positive, driven by a focus on strategic consolidation and long-term capital deployment. Policy reforms and regulatory clarity continued to support investor access and participation, reinforcing India’s position as a key investment destination.

Sector trends

Q1 Dealtracker 2025

Key insights from the Q1 Dealtracker 2025

Q1 2025 marked a significant milestone, with the highest quarterly deal volumes since Q1 2022 and the highest values since Q3 2022, driven by four key segments combined. The M&A and PE landscape experienced a robust activity, reaching record highs. However, in stark contrast, IPO and QIP fundings plummeted sharply compared to the previous quarter.

Q1 2025 achieved a historic high, with 228 deals recorded driven by an all-time quarterly high Domestic M&A. Additionally, cross-border M&A values surged 2.9 times fueled by one billion-dollar deal and two deals valued over USD 500 million each. Notably, several Indian companies, including Adani Group, Coforge Limited, Zen Technologies and Nitco Limited, went on an acquisition spree, with each acquiring between four to five companies, driving significant M&A activity during the quarter.

Q1 2025 recorded the highest quarterly deal volumes in the last 11 quarters while witnessing a 30% increase in volumes and a marginal increase in values compared to the same quarter in 2024. The quarter saw two billion-dollar deals worth USD 2 billion and 18 high-value transactions (valued at USD 100 million or more) totalling USD 3.9 billion. Early-stage fundings (>=Series A) continued to dominate the PE space with a 44% share in volumes.

The consumer and retail, IT & ITES, pharma, healthcare and biotech, and banking and financial sectors led in terms of volumes, with a combined 57% share for the quarter. Meanwhile, the banking and financial sectors, energy and natural resources, consumer and retail, and pharma, healthcare and biotech sectors dominated in values, contributing to 62% of the overall values. The strong performance of these sectors underscores their importance in driving deal activity and value creation in the market.

Shanthi Vijetha, Partner, Due Diligence, Grant Thornton Bharat
Q1 2025 commenced strong with 636 transactions valued at USD 24.4 billion. This was driven by all-time high M&A activity with 228 deals (USD 15.8 bn) dominated by domestic transactions coupled with record inbound activity. PE activity has been witnessing quarter on quarter increase with return of billion dollar deals in this quarter. This momentum is expected to continue through 2025 as investors are strategically channeling funds into high-growth sectors like retail, banking, renewable energy, and e-mobility.
Shanthi Vijetha Partner, Due Diligence, Grant Thornton Bharat
Vishal Agarwal, Partner and Private Equity Group & Deals Tax Advisory Leader, Grant Thornton Bharat
Q1 continues to be interesting. 2025 began with 408 deals amounting to USD 8.6 billion. It stayed true to the trend over the last 12 to 15 months with an increasing number of deals but smaller sizes. This quarter, the consumer and retail sector took the lead in terms of both deal volumes and values. VCs remained the more active of the lot, with PE funds focused on buyouts, though there was fairly limited activity in the space. Notably, the largest transaction was Temasek committing USD 1 billion to Haldiram’s in a deal that took a fairly long time to come to fruition and promises to remain an interesting bet. Overall, a muted sentiment in the capital markets in India suggests that valuations should reach more realistic levels to restore investor interest, though global uncertainty from US tariff expectations shall keep investors waiting to see how the chips land in the coming days. We think the year has started well, though PE activity shows a pick-up from H2 more realistically.
Vishal Agarwal Partner and Private Equity Group & Deals Tax Advisory Leader, Grant Thornton Bharat
Q1 Dealtracker 2025: Providing M&A and PE deal insights
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Q1 Dealtracker 2025

Providing M&A and PE deal insights

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