M&A Landscape: Current Trends & Outlook Balancing
14th Annual Legal Era India Conclave 2025 | Panel On M&A Landscape: Current Trends & Outlook Balancing
The speaker opens by emphasizing the critical role of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) in navigating today’s complex global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic shifts, and evolving regulatory landscapes. The discussion reveals that although deal volumes have declined, the M&A market is evolving in sophistication and strategic intent rather than contracting. Across sectors and geographies, particularly India and the Asia-Pacific region, the panel explores how M&A activities are reshaping corporate strategies, emphasizing long-term value creation, risk mitigation, and operational resilience. India emerges as a focal point for inbound investments, IPO-driven “reverse flips,” and increasingly strategic private equity activity, underpinned by regulatory maturation, talent availability, and growing domestic markets.
Key Highlights:
- M&A Market Evolution: Decline in volume but rise in deal complexity and strategic value, driven by supply chain integration, market expansion, and risk management.
- Geopolitical & Macroeconomic Impact: Regulatory uncertainty, geopolitical sanctions, and economic volatility are prolonging negotiation cycles and influencing deal structures.
- India’s Rising Prominence: Surge in strategic divestitures and capital reallocations to Indian conglomerates; India as a preferred destination for FDI and global corporate headquarters relocation.
- Sectoral Focus: SaaS, healthcare infrastructure, textiles, and ESG sectors are hotspots for investment and consolidation.
- Private Equity Shift: Increasing control deals with platform-building strategies and long-term operational involvement.
- Compliance and ESG: Growing investor focus on governance, anti-corruption, and labor standards, making compliance a strategic differentiator.
- Regulatory Progress: Advances in India’s market infrastructure, such as GIFT City, support investor confidence despite ongoing regulatory ambiguities.
- Global Capability Centres: Transformation of Indian GCCs from cost centres to strategic operational hubs attracting international talent.
- Representation & Warranty Insurance: Adoption signals maturing deal sophistication and risk management.
Featured Panelists:
- Abhishekh Kanoi, General Counsel & Company Secretary, PDS Ltd.
- Natasha Treasurywala, Partner, Desai & Diwanji
- Pradyumna Vengurlekar, General Counsel, TresVista
- Shaswata Dutta, Senior Legal Director and Senior Counsel, Goldman Sachs
Moderator:
- Kunal Chandra, Partner, Trilegal
Session Partner: Trilegal
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