Annual Dealtracker 2019 V6

Reforms
Revenue Growth
Annual Dealtracker Consolidation
Providing you with M&A and Private Equity deal insights
14th Annual edition 2018

Contents
Section Page
Foreword 04
Deal snapshot 2018 06
Year-on-year performance 14
Mergers and acquisitions dealscape 18
Economic outlook 38
Private equity dealscape 48
Start-up India 56
Sector spotlight 70
Sectors attracting big ticket deals 87
Disclaimer
This document captures the list of deals announced based on the information available in the public domain and public
announcements. Grant Thornton India LLP does not take any responsibility for the information, any errors or any decision by
the reader based on this information. This document should not be relied upon as a substitute for detailed advice, and hence
we do not accept responsibility for any loss as a result of relying on the material contained herein. Further, our analysis of the
deal values is based on publicly available information and appropriate assumptions, wherever necessary. Hence, if different
assumptions were to be applied, the outcomes and results would be different. This document contains the deals announced
and closed as of 20 December 2018.
Please note that the criteria used to define start-ups include a) the company should have been incorporated for five years
or less than five years as at the end of that particular year and b) the company is working towards innovation, development,
deployment and commercialisation of new products, processes or services driven by technology or intellectual property.
Deals have been classified by sectors and by funding stages based on certain assumptions, wherever necessary.
02 Industry 4.0: Transforming the manufacturing landscape

Annual Dealtracker 03
Foreword
2018 was a record-breaking year for

deal activities in India, surpassing all
previous records by crossing the $100
bn deal value mark across both private
equity (PE) and M&A transactions.
Deal values in 2018 reached a high of over $110 bn in around 1,250 transactions. The year also recorded the highest deals in the
billion-dollar category with 18 deals clocking $72.5 bn. The ongoing capital market and regulatory reforms, constant amendments
to reforms like Goods and Services Tax (GST), Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC),
and efforts to improve ease of doing business in the country are signs of increasing depth and maturity, making the Indian
markets more attractive.
Deal summary Volume Value ($mn)

Year 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Domestic 306 228 269 12,706 5,834 34,215
Cross-border 189 162 189 27,046 8,140 38,523
Internal mergers and restructuring 17 23 14 3,475 26,451 17,474
Total M&A 512 413 472 43,227 40,425 90,211
Private equity 972 736 786 13,930 20,495 20,450
Grand total 1,484 1,149 1,258 57,157 60,920 110,661
Cross-border includes
Inbound 90 86 100 20,754 5,962 25,741
Outbound 99 76 89 6,292 2,178 12,782
M&A transactions involving Indian companies reached $90 bn in 2018, making it a landmark year for M&A transactions in
India. The surge in the deal activities was mainly driven by the objectives of consolidating by expanding the market share,
buying technology and diversifying market presence. Additionally, M&As have also proven to be effective in bridging the gaps
in the market, resource and the growth outlook among business partners. Corporates improved their inorganic growth strategy
through divestment of non-core assets, expanded into newer business segments, and hunted for bargain purchases following the
introduction of IBC during 2018.
04 Annual Dealtracker
Emerging as a key driver for deals, domestic consolidation took The recent uncertainty around trade and Brexit does provide
a larger piece of the pie with around 60% share of the overall some headwinds, but with one of the fastest growing
M&A transaction values in 2018. This accounts for more than economies in the world, India’s landscape will continue to
50% growth over 2017, driven by transactions in the energy remain strong for transactions and investments. Despite
sector. Inbound deals accounted for around 30% of the total some caution and restraint in the near term - considering
M&A deal values this year. Walmart and Schneider were among various macroeconomic variables at play such as the 2019
the key global contributors to the investments, and this is general elections, or any worsening of fiscal conditions due to
expected to trigger further interest from overseas corporates exchange rate volatility and rising crude oil prices - India’s deal
and investors in the coming year. Outbound deal values were outlook for 2019 looks promising due to the increasing interest
around $13 bn, with values jumping six-fold as compared to among the global business community to get a share of the
2017. This massive scale was driven by three mega billion large consumer base in India. In addition to traditional M&A
dollar deals together accounting for around 70% of the total drivers like consolidation and market penetration, deal activity
outbound values. will also be triggered by pressures like technological innovation
and digitisation, as companies will be compelled to proactively
PE activity had a tepid start this year; however, investor acquire capabilities that provide a competitive edge.
confidence in India was evident from the $20 bn invested
across the year. The PE landscape in India entered a phase The outlook for 2019 may be tepid for the first two quarters,
backed by a steady stream of investments and mounting levels it should eventually pick up and end on a positive note, given
of dry powder. Apart from Indian private equity and venture the strong fundamentals and deal pipelines. However, a lot will
capitalists, a number of global investors showcased interest in depend on the continuing reforms, new policies and pace of
the activities of home-grown start-ups and pumped large sums reforms post general elections.
into the system to further capitalise their activities. This resulted
in the sector values growing by over two times as compared Prashant Mehra
to 2017. The year also witnessed an increasing focus of global Partner
sovereign pension funds and conglomerates on Indian assets, Grant Thornton India LLP
particularly in the consumer and infrastructure space.
While sectors such as telecom, e-commerce, energy,

manufacturing, retail and agriculture contributed to high-
value deals, start-up, IT, pharma, banking and media sectors
attracted the maximum deal activities driving deal volumes
in 2018. The continuing push by the government and reforms
like RERA, housing for all, bank recapitalisation, Pradhan
Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, BharatNet and Ayushman Bharat are
expected to drive deal activity across sectors in 2019.
Deal snapshot
2018
• Key highlights
• Key deals to look out for in
2019
• Notable deals that fell apart in
2018
• Monthly deal trend
• IPO and QIP activity
Key highlights
• Epic year for transactions - M&A and PE deals in aggregate crossed the $100 bn
mark for the first time in India, reporting $110 bn over 1,258 transactions. M&A
transactions were the growth front runners with deals aggregating to $90 bn and PE
reporting deals aggregating to $20 bn.
• Big ticket transactions ruled the roost - 18 transactions reported in the billion dollar
category aggregating to $72.5 bn and accounting for 66% of the overall value of
deals reported.
• Growth in M&A dispersed across sectors for want of diversification (product/
geography), consolidation and winning bargain deals – While telecom led the
M&A pack with deal values aggregating to $19 bn on account of a large merger
by monetising non-core operations, e-commerce witnessed the single largest
transaction in its history and also the largest inbound transaction for India (Walmart
– Flipkart transaction $16 bn); consolidation, cross-border and IBC transactions
fueled the growth in the manufacturing sector to deals aggregating to $16bn; and
energy sector garnered deals aggregating to $12 bn driven by the consolidation
fervour and strengthening core capabilities.
• USA executed the highest inbound acquisitions and was also the most favoured
destination for outbound transactions both in value and volume terms. There was an
uptick in inbound transactions from Singapore, Germany, China and Japan.
• PE deal activity remained muted as compared to 2017 with marginal growth in deal
volumes. While start-ups relished big ticket investments; BFSI and e-commerce were
fueled with small ticket investments. Deal volumes snowballed in energy and natural
resources, e-commerce, retail and consumer, and education sectors.
• Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad continued to attract the highest investments
in South India; Gurugram and Mumbai were at the helm in North and West India
respectively.
• IPO and QIP activity remained subdued – Market volatility and macro factors
dampened the IPO and QIP activity for the year, resulting in <50% fund raising as
compared to 2017.
• Record breaking deal activity in 2018, continuing reforms/measures and
amendments in acts/laws to improve ease of doing business and bolstering investor
confidence are expected to uphold the deal momentum for 2019 subject to a
temporary effect from the upcoming national elections
Key deals to look out for
in 2019
Sell-out of Mumbai Mall

51% stake sale in IDBI owned by Omkar Realtors
and Developers
Stake sale in Zee Ruchi Soya sell-out

Entertainment
Ambani gas pipeline Potential cross-border

stake sale acquisition by India’s Motherson
Sumi
Radiant to merge with Stake sale in Jet

Max Healthcare Airways
90% stake in Hotel

Leela Venture
Notable deals that fell apart
Due to delays in Due to restraints under Due to inability to

obtaining regulatory current law comply with agreed
approvals and execution terms
• Warburg Pincus - Tata • ACC Ltd - Ambuja Cements Ltd • Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd
Technologies Ltd • Greenko Energy Holdings Pvt - 9X Media Pvt Ltd and its unit INX
• Edelweiss Broking Ltd and Ltd - Orange Renewable Power Music Pvt Ltd
Edelweiss Comtrade Ltd - Religare Pvt Ltd • JSW Energy - Jaiprakash Power
Enterprises Ltd’s retail broking Ventures (500 MW thermal power
business (Religare Securities Ltd, plant at Bina)
Religare Commodities Ltd and
depository participant services)
• Orient Cement - Jaypee Nigrie
Cement grinding unit and Bhilai
Jaypee Cements Ltd
• IndusInd Bank Ltd - IL&FS

Securities Services Ltd
Monthly deal trend
M&A deal trend
Tata Steel Ltd - Bhushan Steel

Ltd ($5.5 bn)
Manufacturing
UPL Ltd - Arysta Lifescience

ONGC Ltd - Hindustan Petroleum Inc ($4.2 bn)
Corporation Ltd ($5.8 bn) Bharti Infratel Ltd - Indus Agriculture and forestry
Towers Ltd ($14.6 bn)
Energy and natural Telecom
resources Hindustan Unilever Ltd -
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer
Vodafone India - Idea Walmart Inc - Flipkart Online Healthcare Ltd ($4.5 bn)
Cellular ($23 bn) Services Pvt Ltd ($16 bn)
Retail and
Telecom Ecommerce consumer
30.0 60
25.7 49 50
47 23.8 48 47
25.0 46
19.1
40 40
20.0 45 35 40
32
15.1 30 39 28
36 36
Volumes
15.0 35 35
$ bn
32
29 29 22
27 9.1 28
10.0 20
6.6
5.0 3.8 3.2 2.9
2.3 2.2 2.5 2.8
1.4 1.9 1.7 0.9 0.4 1.2 0.9 1.7 0.8
0.4 0.3
0.0 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2017 values 2018 values 2017 volume 2018 volume
Bain Capital and its affiliate firms,

Capital Group and LIC - Axis bank
PE/VC deal trend ($1.8 bn)
Banking and financial
GIC - DLF Cyber City services
Abu Dhabi Investment Naspers, Tencent,
Developers Ltd ($1.4 bn)
Authority and TPG Hillhouse Capital,
Capital Asia - UPL Ltd Real estate
Wellington Management,
($1.2 bn) SoftBank - Flipkart DST Global, Meituan
Agriculture and forestry ($2.5 bn) Dianping and Coatue
E commerce Management - Swiggy
($1 bn)
SoftBank - One97 Communications Tencent and
Start-up
Ltd- Paytm ($1.4 bn) SoftBank - Olacabs.
E commerce com - ($1.1 bn)
E-commerce
6.0 100
5.0
5.0 81 85
70 80
84 82 64 81 2.9
68
4.0 57 64
59 67 68 67 60
63 2.9 64
3.0 60 2.6 2.4 58 49
Volumes
48 2.4
$ bn
45 53 47 2.2
2.1 40
2.0 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.6 39
1.4 1.2 0.8 1.2 1.3
1.0
1.0 0.8 1.0 0.6
0.9 0.9 20
0.4
0.0 0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2017 values 2018 values 2017 volume 2018 volume
IPO and QIP activity
IPO snapshot
$4.8 bn was raised across 25 IPOs with values dropping more than half over 2017.
Indian companies raised $4.8 bn through IPO in 2018, 9.3

a decline of 55% from 2017. This decline was mainly 27
due to volatile equity markets and uncertainties in
the macro environment on account of high crude oil
19
prices, depreciating rupee and tariff war between USA 15
and China, coupled with foreign portfolio investment 3.8
(FPI) outflow and hardening interest rates, which 2.9
10 10
6
have impacted equity issuance. The drop in the funds 1.4
1.1 1.1
raised through this route can also be attributed to
2017 witnessing four large issues in the banking sector
raising over $1 bn each and together totalling $5.9 bn, H1 2016 H2 2016 H1 2017 H2 2017 H1 2018 H2 2018
which itself is 21% more than the total funds raised in

Issue size ($ bn) Issue count
2018.
Sector trend
By volume By value
3%
3%3%
24% 4%
32% 8%
50%
14%
8%
12%
15%
24%
Banking and financial services
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Banking and financial services Aerospace and defence
Infrastructure management Automotive
Others Infrastructure management
Automotive Hospitality and leisure
Pharma, healthcare and biotech
Others
QIP snapshot
29 companies raised $2.6 bn – a 63% drop over the amount raised in 2017; the number of companies raising funds
through qualified institutional placements (QIPs) also dropped by 26%.
Fundraising through QIPs lost its charm in 2018. During the year, 4.5
funds worth $2.6 bn were raised, which is significantly lower than 28

the $7.1 bn raised in 2017. This drop can be attributed to the fact
that for most of 2018, Indian equities were volatile with a bearish 25
2.6
bias, hit by local and global factors. Besides, subdued corporate
12 2
sentiment weighed on investors’ risk appetite for QIPs. Further, the
participation of foreign investors has not been quite encouraging 11
0.6
in the secondary market this year. And that seems to be reflecting 0.6 4
in the primary market, too. .007
3
The road ahead for secondary markets is likely to be turbulent H1 2016 H2 2016 H1 2017 H2 2017 H1 2018 H2 2018
considering concerns around political uncertainty at home

Sum raised ($ bn) Issue count
and a potential global economic slowdown. These raise doubts
on whether QIPs can make a comeback in 2019. However, lack
of corporate lending appetite by PSU banks combined with
attractive yields in the corporate bond markets over bank rates
appears to motivate corporates to shift towards market-based
borrowing through non-convertible debentures (NCD) issuances
for raising funds.
Sector trend
By volume By value
14% 8%
20% 7%
7%
10% 41%
7%
21% 13%
10%
21%
21%
Banking and financial services Banking and financial services
Infrastructure management Telecom
Manufacturing Manufacturing
Infrastructure management
Real estate
Agriculture and forestry
Others
Retail and consumer
Others
Year-on-year
performance
• M&A five-year trend
• PE five-year trend
M&A trends
summary
568 deals 570 deals 512 deals 413 deals 472 deals
Deal
$35.7 bn $27.7 bn $43.2 bn $40.4 bn $90.2 bn

Top deals
Sun Pharmaceutical Vedanta Ltd - Cairn Rosneft PJSC, Idea - Vodafone Walmart - Flipkart
Industries - Ranbaxy India Ltd ($2.3 bn) Trafigura and United ($23 bn) ($16 bn)
Laboratories Ltd Capital Partners
($3.2 bn) - Essar Oil ($12.9 bn)
Quarterly M&A deal trend
50.0 46.0 180

164
141 146 148 137 160
40.0 137 131 145 136 134
126 104 140
116
123 27.5 103 120
30.0
Volumes
119 119 116 100
20.2 97 18.7 80
$ bn
20.0 93 13.2
12.2 12.3 60
9.4 9.6 7.9 7.9
6.8 7.3 6.9 6.7 7.2 7.3 40
10.0 4.4 3.5 2.1 20
0.0 -
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Value $ bn Volume
value
Pharma, healthcare Energy and natural Energy and natural Telecom (62%) Telecom (21%)
Top sector by
and biotech (26%) resources (16%) resources (42%)

volume
IT and ITeS (13%) Start-up (24%) Start-up (28%) Start-up (22%) Start-up (24%)
PE trends
summary
589 deals 1,049 deals 972 deals 737 deals 786 deals
Deal
$12.3 bn $16.2 bn $13.9 bn $20.5 bn $20.5 bn

Top deals
Morgan Stanley, Baillie Gifford, Brookfield - Reliance SoftBank Vision Abu Dhabi Investment
GIC, Accel Partners, Greenoaks Capital, Infratel Ltd ($1.6 bn) Fund - Flipkart Authority and TPG
DST Global, Iconiq Steadview Capital, ($2.5 bn) Capital Asia - UPL Ltd-
Capital and T Rowe Price UPL Corp ($1.2 bn)
Sofina - Flipkart Associates, Qatar
($1 bn) Investment Authority,
DST Global, GIC,
Iconiq Capital, and
Tiger Global - Flipkart
($0.7 bn) Quarterly PE deal trend
8.0 7.2 350

7.0 306 280 207 199 216 300
284 242 6.1
5.8 5.4 5.7 5.5
6.0 220 5.2 250
243 4.9
5.0 4.4 230 4.1
4.2 216 217
149 155 200
Volumes
4.0 3.4 196 154
3.1 162 170
$ bn
3.1 3.0 2.9 164 150

3.0 2.6 2.6
123 2.3
1.9 100
2.0
1.0 50
0.0 -
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Value $ bn Volume
value
E-commerce (20%) Start-up (31%) Start-up (17%) E-commerce (29%) Start-up (26%)
Top sector by
Start-up (37%) Start-up (65%) Start-up (68%) Start-up (61%) Start-up (59%)
volume
Mergers and
acquisitions dealscape
• Sector focus
• Deal round-up – domestic,
mergers and internal
restructuring
• Indian map on domestic deals
– State-wise
• Inbound deal trend
• Outbound deal trend
• G
eographic track on cross-
border deals
• Corridors
• Top 10 deals – 2018
• Notable deals – 2018
• Expert speak
M&A sector focus
The telecom sector led the pack with 21% of total M&A deal values driven by the liberal and reformist policies of the Government of
India, which have been instrumental in the rapid growth in this sector, along with strong consumer demand. Prominent sectors like
e-commerce, manufacturing, energy, IT, agriculture, banking and pharma also attracted significant deal values which cumulatively
contributed to 73% of total M&A values. While the core sectors garnered significant values, the start-up sector dominated the
deal volumes by 24%. Adoption of disruptive technologies across verticals spanning education, food, health, hospitality and
transportation has been encouraging established players to absorb budding companies, driving deal activity in this space.
Manufacturing
Telecom 6,310 1,184 16,070
IT and ITeS
1,917 25,016 19,260 37 33 42
2,811 1,018 5,622
7 9 6 56 70 65
Energy and natural
resources
E-commerce
18,012 1,860 12,115
2,224 2,112 16,887
27 12 18
18 21 24
Retail and consumer

305 651 5,306
28 25 25
Pharma, healthcare
and biotech Agriculture and
forestry
4,701 2,232 2,503
447 313 4,339
54 35 36
6 6 12
Banking and
Media and financial services
entertainment
1,129 3,166 2,717
980 408 1,605
33 25 32
28 21 29
Start-up Hospitality and Real estate

876 701 793 leisure 422 424 541
145 91 114 379 261 576 5 7 6
12 8 10
Top sectors based on deal values

Values $mn 2016 2017 2018
Volume 2016 2017 2018
Domestic, merger and
internal restructuring
Domestic M&A hit record levels with transaction values aggregating to $51.7 bn, which is 1.6x the value as compared to 2017, and
surpassed the annual all-time high of 2017 ($32.3 bn). This surge in deal values was driven by big ticket consolidation valued at
$1 bn across core sectors in an effort to expand market share, buy technology and diversify market presence. Domestic
consolidation was also largely fueled by corporates undergoing financial stress.
Deal summary
323 deals 251 deals 283 deals
$16.2 bn $32.3 bn $51.7 bn
Quarterly domestic, merger and internal restructuring deal trend
6 11
30.0 100
92 25.8 25.6
7 89 90
25.0 89
74 80
72 70 73
20.0 70
67 7
Volumes
58 65 15.6 60
$ bn
55 52
15.0 50
5 40
10.0 5 5 5 7 8.1
5.8 3 3 6 30
4.2 4.4 20
5.0 3.0 3.2 2.4
1.0 1.1 10
0.0 -
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2016 2017 2018
Values $ bn Volumes
Number of big ticket transactions (Valued and estimated at and above $100 mn)
value
Manufacturing Telecom (74%) Telecom (36%)

Top sector by
(36%)
volume
Start-up (40%) Start-up (31%) Start-up (34%)

volume
Sector movement compared
to 2017
Values Volumes Values Volumes
Aerospace Aerospace Infrastructure

Banking and
and defence and defence management
financial services
403 3 1,956 3
Agriculture Agriculture
E-commerce IT and ITeS
and forestry and forestry
83 16
129 9
Infrastructure Professional/
Automotive Automotive management business services
46 4
86 12
Banking and Pharma, health-

Education Real estate
financial services care and biotech
252 4
23 128
Energy and Professional/busi-

Education Telecom
natural resources ness services
10 57 3
11,536
Start-up
Hospitality Energy and
and leisure natural resources 572
107 10
Telecom
Hospitality
IT and ITeS 18,444
and leisure
931
6
Manufacturing Manufacturing
9,949 20
Media and Media and

entertainment entertainment
913 16
Pharma, health-
Real estate care and biotech
433
15
Retail and Retail and

consumer consumer
5,246 17
Transport and
Start-up
logistics
95
417
Transport and
logistics
4
Domestic deal activity -
Region in focus
NCR and Mumbai regions attracted the most deal activity both in terms of transaction volumes and values, together capturing 51%
of deal volumes and 90% deal values. Of the top 10 cities recording active deal activity, the start-up sector dominated across 6
cities in terms of deal volumes.
Gurugram
Values: 21,139 | Volume: 30
Delhi Top sector: Start-up
Top sector: Start-up
Noida
Values: 45 | Volume: 6
Ahmedabad
Top sector: E-commerce and
energy and natural resources
Mumbai
Top sector: Banking and
financial services
Kolkata
Top sector: Agriculture and forestry
Hyderabad
Pune
Top sector: Start-up Bengaluru
Chennai
Top sector: Start-up and
e-commerce
Values in $mn
Inbound deal trend
Inbound deal values bounced back beyond the 2016 levels and at $25.7 bn were 4.3x the 2017 values. This is also the highest value
since 2011. The number of inbound deals grew 16% over 2017, recording 100 deals. Walmart’s record-breaking acquisition of a $16
bn stake in Flipkart bolstered the figure for India this year. The deal pushed the e-commerce sector up, to constitute 65% of India’s
inbound M&A activity for a total of $16.7 bn, a significant increase compared to the last year ($1.7 bn).
Deal summary
$20.8 bn $6 bn $25.7 bn
Quarterly Inbound deal trend
25.0 7 35
4 19.4 30
20.0 28 30
25 14.1 26 25
24
23
15.0 23
23
Volumes
19 20 19 20
$ bn
16 15
10.0
3
5 5 4 8 5 6 6 5 10
5.0 2.5 2.7 3 2.4
1.5 2.2 1.9 2.0 1.9 5
1.1 0.7
0.0 -
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2016 2017 2018
Values $ bn Volumes
value
Energy and natural E-commerce (29%) E-commerce (65%)

Top sector by
resources (65%)
volume
Start-up (18%) IT and ITeS (17%) IT and ITeS (20%)

volume
to 2017
Banking and Banking and Energy and Pharma, health-

financial services financial services natural resources care and biotech
761 9 428 5
E-commerce Education Media and Retail and

entertainment consumer
16,728 3
25 3
Energy and
Education
natural resources Real estate
14 6 54
Hospitality Hospitality Retail and

and leisure and leisure consumer
469 4 15
Infrastructure Infrastructure Telecom

management management 811
341 5
IT and ITeS IT and ITeS

2,090 20
Neutral sectors
Media and
Manufacturing
entertainment Values Volumes
2,723 5
N.A.
E-commerce
Pharma, health- Professional/busi-
care and biotech ness services 8
1,062 1
Manufacturing
Professional/busi- 10
Start-up
ness services
5 18
Real estate
1
Start-up
215
Telecom
2
Outbound deal trend
Outbound deal values recorded an all-time high of $12.8 bn, a 5.9x increase compared to 2017. Volumes also recorded a strong
17% increase y-o-y. India’s outbound acquisitions focused on the agriculture and forestry sector as deal values reached $4.2 mn
and captured 33% of India’s foreign acquisitions, driven by UPL Ltd’s acquisition of Arysta Lifescience Inc. This was followed by the
manufacturing and IT sectors together capturing 47% of deal values.
Deal summary
99 Deals 76 Deals 89 Deals
$6.3 bn $2.2 bn $12.8 bn
Quarterly outbound deal trend 5

9.0 8.4 35
8.0 32
30
7.0
23 25 25
6.0 22 22
21 21
Volumes
5.0 22 22 20 20
$ bn
18
4.0 4 16 3 2 15
2 4
3.0 2.4 2 3 2.2
1.9 3 2 10
2.0 1.3 0 0 1.2
0.7 1.0 1.0
1.0 0.6 0.3 5
0.2
0.0 -
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2016 2017 2018
Values $ bn Volumes
Value
value
Energy and natural Pharma, Agriculture and

Top sector by
resources (35%) healthcare and forestry (33%)

biotech (64%)
volume
Pharma, IT and ITeS (33%) IT and ITeS (33%)

volume
healthcare and
biotech (25%)
to 2017
Agriculture Agriculture
Pharma, health-
and forestry and forestry Automotive care and biotech
4,210 3 220
16
E-commerce E-commerce Pharma, health-

care and biotech
76 3
1,313
Education Education
8 1
Energy and
natural resources
IT and ITeS Neutral sectors
151 29
Values Volumes
IT and ITeS
Manufacturing
2,602 Telecom Automotive
12
5 4
Manufacturing Media and

Energy and
Entertainment
3,398 natural resources
8
2
Media and Real estate Professional/busi-

entertainment 1 ness services
667 4
Professional/busi- Start-up Retail and

ness services 1 consumer
34 5
Real estate Telecom

54 1
Retail and
consumer
46
Start-up
5
Cross-border deals:
Geographic track UK
Values Volume
181 4
10 1
Total cross-border M&A reached

$38.5 bn, 4.7x the deal values Belgium
Values Volume
and an 17% increase in deal 17 1
volumes compared to 2017. USA is Canada 210 2
currently the top acquirer of Indian Values Volume
companies and the top targeted 100 3
255 2
nation by Indian companies.
Acquisitions by US-based
companies in India totalled Switzerland
Values Volume
$18.6 bn from 39 transactions, 10 3
which is 7.57 times in values and 26 1
39% higher in volumes compared
to 2017, and constituted 72% of France
India’s inbound M&A deal values. Values Volume
France and Singapore contributed 201 1
3,131 4
to 12% and 5% respectively to
overall inbound deal values.
Outbound transactions from India Italy
Values Volume
were spread over 25 geographies/ US
136 3
countries, of which 39 transactions Values Volume
141 1
11,013 39
aggregating to $11 bn were 18,649 39
executed in USA. 86% of the overall
outbound deal volumes were US-
bound followed by 7 transactions
in Germany and 4 transactions
each in Singapore, UK and
Australia.
Netherlands
Values Volume
14 2
5 1
Germany
Values Volume
158 7 Sweden
89 5 Values Volume
5 1
5 1
Finland
Values Volume
76 1 China
5 1 Values Volume
359 8
Japan
Values Volume
159 2
221 6
Israel
UAE Malaysia
Values Volume
Values Volume Values Volume
13 3
621 5 851 2
20 4
Singapore
South Africa Values Volume
Australia
Values Volume 77 4
Values Volume
38 2 1,270 13
51 4
Values in $mn
Outbound
Inbound
Corridors
India-US
2015 2016 2017 2018

Inbound
Deals 39 Deals 26 Deals 28 Deals 39

$6.2 bn $1.2 bn $2.5 bn $18.6 bn
Outbound
$2.4 bn $1.8 bn $0.6 bn $11 bn
Top sector attraction by volume - 2018

Inbound
IT and ITeS Start-up Banking and financial E-commerce Hospitality and leisure
services
31% 18% 10% 8% 8%
Outbound
IT and ITeS Pharma, healthcare Media and Manufacturing Professional/business

and biotech entertainment services
41% 15% 13% 8% 8%
Top deals
The year 2018 witnessed heightened deal activity in
Acquirer Target Cross-border
the India-US business corridor with the overall deal size
E-commerce of approximately $19 bn on the India inbound side and
$16 bn Walmart Inc Flipkart Inbound $11 bn on outbound side. The deal activity went up
significantly, both in volume and value terms, marked by
Agriculture and forestry Walmart’s acquisition of a controlling interest in Flipkart
$4.2 bn UPL Ltd Arysta Outbound — one of the biggest acquisitions by a US company of
Lifescience an Indian business. The diversity in deal activity also
Manufacturing signifies that the US interest in India is transcending
$2.6 bn Hindalco Industries - Aleris Corp Outbound from the IT space into other sectors.
Novelis
India’s ties with USA, both economic and geo-political,
IT and ITeS are stronger than ever and with both countries
$1.8 bn HCL Technologies IBM-8 Outbound
Software committed to multiplying trade and investment, this
Products trend is likely to continue in 2019 and beyond.
Arun Chhabra
$0.9 bn Aurobindo Pharma Sandoz Inc Outbound
Chartered Accountant,
New Delhi
India-UK
2015 2016 2017 2018

Inbound

$0.08 bn $0.2 bn $0.5 bn $0.01 bn
Outbound
$0.2 bn $1.3 bn $0.03 bn $.2 bn

Inbound Outbound
Pharma, healthcare Start-up Energy and Media and E-commerce
and biotech natural resources entertainment
50% 50% 50% 25% 25%
Top deals The Indo-UK corridor witnessed notable activity during

2018, including both strategic deals as well as cross-
border investments.
IBC acted as a major deal catalyst, resulting in 12
Energy and natural resources
major resolution processes in 2018, which attracted
$76 mn Energy Efficiency Edina Power Outbound
Services Ltd Services UK companies such as Liberty House. Other notable
transactions included the acquisition of Healthium by
Outbound
Apax Partners, a major buyout fund headquartered out
$75 mn Aban Offshore UK Continental
Ltd Shelf Production of UK, and the divestment of GSK’s consumer healthcare
License portfolio, including Horlicks and Complan, to HUL.
E-commerce
$20.59 mn Future Lifestyle Koovs Plc Outbound While the EU referendum vote has shaken investor
Fashions Ltd confidence and will continue to infuse uncertainty in the
Start-up market, the corporate mid-market M&A space continues
N.A. Page Solutions Aetlo Tech Inbound to remain robust, and deal makers are considering
incremental M&A opportunities post-Brexit.
Media and entertainment
N.A. Tata Consultancy W12 Studios Outbound
Services Ltd Santhosh C
Director
Grant Thornton India LLP
India-Japan
2015 2016 2017 2018

Inbound

$0.9 bn $1.5 bn $0.5 bn $0.2 bn
Outbound
$0.03 bn $0.4 bn $0.2 bn

Inbound Outbound
IT and ITeS Manufacturing Media and Banking and financial Manufacturing Pharma, healthcare
Entertainment services and biotech
33% 33% 17% 17% 50% 50%
Top deals
Manufacturing
$174 mn Sumitomo Mukand Sumi Inbound
Corporation Special Steel Ltd
Manufacturing
$158 mn Cairn India Holdings AvanStrate Outbound
Ltd Inc
Manufacturing
$23 mn Sanyo Special Mahindra Inbound
Steel Co Ltd Sanyo Special
Steel Pvt Ltd
IT and ITeS
$9 mn NTT Data Corp Atom Inbound
Technologies Ltd
$1 mn Sun Pharmaceutical Pola Pharma Inc Outbound
Industries Ltd
Over decades, the India-Japan relationship has transformed This is further bolstered by the fact that Softbank has
into a partnership with great substance and purpose well already made a lot of high-value investments in India. These
supported by the leadership teams of these two nations. This investments are only going to increase as India is currently
is further underscored by the basic strategic importance that a hotbed for start-ups and an improvement in India’s GII
the two economies and businesses have shown towards each (Gender Inequality Index) rankings will certainly help its
other in the past many decades. cause.
In terms of investment, Japan has been India’s third largest In drawing the outlook for 2019 and beyond, it is pertinent
source of FDI, providing $28.16 bn from April 2000 to June to note that the future deal flow will largely be driven by the
2018 in diverse sectors. In the recent times, political events on stagnant state of the economy in Japan and businesses
both the sides have been extraordinary for the M&A market that are motivated by their environment and their experience
as India significantly gained foreign investments from Japan in auction processes to buy overseas assets. On the other
in 2017 and 2018. side, for the Indian companies that are looking out for
international buyers and also partnership in technology,
In 2018, led by electronics and industrial goods as the
Japanese corporations can be attractive buyers.
top target industries, the India-Japan M&A activity led to
deals worth $380 mn in 2018. In terms of investments from In that light, the sector that is likely to see deal activity
Japan, there were a number of strategic alliances in the and investments would be consumer (especially food
form of JVs, technical collaboration, etc, particularly in the and textiles), which is directly affected by the shrinking
manufacturing sector. population and continues to look at increasing market share
overseas. In that lookout for growth, India has emerged as
Sumitomo’s investment in Mukand Sumi Special Steel Ltd and
the most promising country according to the 2017 report
Sanyo Special Steel’s minority investment in Mahindra Sanyo
released by Japan Bank of International Cooperation
Special Steel Pvt Ltd not only top the list but also represent
(JBIC) on overseas business operations by Japanese
the fact that large Japanese companies are showing interest
manufacturing companies.
in a wide variety of sectors. We expect this deal scenario to
continue and further propel the Japanese manufacturing
giants and their suppliers to enter the Indian market with a Siddhartha Nigam
strong hope of success. Partner
Grant Thornton Advisory
Private Limited
Top 10 M&A deals 2018
2018 recorded 16 multi-billion dollar deals and 51 deals valued and estimated at and over $100 mn each together
contributing 95% of total M&A deal values. Breaking the record of 2011, which recorded 10 deals in the billion dollar
category, this year recorded the highest deals in this segment.
Acquirer Target Sector $bn Deal type %

stake Largest inbound deal in India.
This deal alone contributed to
Walmart Inc Flipkart Online E-commerce 16 Majority 77% 18% of total M&A deal values.
Services Pvt Ltd stake
Bharti Infratel Indus Towers Ltd Telecom 14.6 Merger N.A.

Ltd
This merger resulted in creating
the largest tower company in
the world outside China.
Oil and Hindustan Petroleum Energy and 5.8 Controlling 51%
Natural Gas Corporation Ltd natural stake
Corporation resources
Ltd
Tata Steel Ltd Bhushan Steel Manufacturing 5.5 Controlling 73%
Limited stake This marks the biggest asset
sale till date under the new
bankruptcy law.
Hindustan GlaxoSmithKline Retail and 4.5 Acquisition 100%

Unilever Ltd Consumer consumer
Healthcare Limited
This is the country’s biggest

UPL Ltd - UPL Arysta Lifescience Agriculture 4.2 Acquisition 100% consumer goods deal. The
Corp Inc and forestry second-biggest deal by value
in the consumer goods space
is that of Diageo picking up
Reliance Jio Reliance Telecom 3.8 Acquisition N.A. majority stake in United Spirits.
Infocomm Ltd Communications Ltd
Adani Reliance Energy and 2.9 Acquisition 100%

Transmission Infrastructure Ltd natural This is the largest outbound
Ltd - Mumbai power resources deal in the agriculture sector
business and otherwise till date.
Hindalco Aleris Corporation Manufacturing 2.6 Acquisition 100%
Industries Ltd -
Novelis Inc
Schneider Larsen & Toubro Manufacturing 2.1 Acquisition 100%

Electric SA Ltd - Electrical and
automation business
Notable deals of 2018
Walmart Inc buys 77% stake in Flipkart for $16 bn
E-commerce
Rationale: The deal will see Walmart Inc acquiring a 77% stake in Flipkart for a consideration of $16 bn, valuing
India’s largest start-up at $20.8 bn. This deal also marks the biggest acquisition in the e-commerce space and
Walmart’s biggest overseas deal.
Commenting on the transaction, Doug McMillon, Walmart’s president and COO, said, “India is one of the most
attractive retail markets in the world, given its size and growth rate, and our investment is an opportunity to partner
with the company that is leading the transformation of e-commerce in the market.”
While Walmart and Flipkart will leverage their combined strengths, they will maintain distinct brands and operating
structures.
It involves Walmart ploughing $2 bn into the company as primary capital. The rest of the stake for Walmart will come
from buying out existing investors such as Softbank, Tencent Holdings, Tiger Global, Naspers and Microsoft, who
exited with handsome returns.
Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers merge to create a $14.6 bn tower giant
Telecom
Rationale: The deal will see Vodafone’s, Idea Group’s and Providence Equity Partners’ respective shareholdings in
Indus Towers merge into Bharti Infratel, creating a combined company that will own 100% of Indus Towers.
The combination of Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers by way of merger will create a pan-India tower company worth
$14.6 bn, with over 1.63 lakh towers operating across all 22 telecom service areas in India. It will be the largest tower
company in the world outside China. The deal is expected to close before 31 March 2019.
The merger will help Bharti Airtel Ltd, Vodafone India Ltd and Idea Cellular Ltd, which came together in 2007 to
form Indus Towers, easily pare their stakes in the combined entity to raise funds to invest in their struggling telecom
operations and cut debt.
On completion, Airtel, which currently owns a 53.5% stake in Bharti Infratel, will hold between 33.8% and 37.2% in the
merged entity, while Vodafone India will own between 26.7% and 29.4% and Airtel and Vodafone India will have equal
rights in the merged entity.
Expert speak
2018 has been a record year for M&A deal

values, galloping from $40 bn in 2017 to $90
bn across 472 deals in 2018. Strong headwinds
of a falling rupee, surging oil prices and
turbulence in financial services leading to a
credit squeeze in H2 2018 have clearly not been
able to dampen the sentiment for deal activity
through the year.
Given that insolvency-driven resolutions have not contributed Walmart’s $16 bn acquisition of Flipkart, which saw exits of
as substantially as they were expected to at the start of the existing investors, was the landmark deal in e-commerce,
year due to delays in closure, deal values of 2018 reflect a pointing to a growing maturity of investments in this space.
buoyancy and depth not seen before in the Indian deal market.
Telecom continued to consolidate in line with past trends with
This year has also been a year of mega deals on the deal street Bharti Airtel’s merger with Indus Towers and Reliance Jio’s
with 16 deals completed in the billion dollar plus category acquisition of infrastructure assets of Reliance Communication
against 3 in 2017, and that too with a very secular coverage being the top deals.
across sectoral themes — apart from the usual contributors
of telecom and energy and natural resources, 2018 saw IT/ITeS continued to sustain volumes with 65 deals aggregating
manufacturing, agri, CleanTech, financial services and IT/ITeS $5.6 bn with average deal sizes of $86 mn — much higher than
all contributing to this billion dollar club and pushing total deal the previous two years. There were seven deals above $200
values in this category to a formidable $70 bn. mn with HCL’s $1.8 bn acquisition of IBM (8 software products)
being the biggest deal in this space.
In terms of overall sectoral activity, while telecom and
e-commerce were the highest grossers in deal value Pharma and healthcare saw flattish activity with signs of
with telecom aggregating $19.3 bn across six deals and consolidation in healthcare delivery, contributing $2.5 bn
e-commerce $16.9 bn from 24 deals, manufacturing was the across 36 deals in 2018 – Aurobindo Pharma’s $900 mn
clear outperformer of the year with deal values surging from acquisition of Sandoz Inc’s dermatology business being the
$1.2 bn in 2017 to $16 bn in 2018 across 42 deals where the highest grosser in this space.
average deal size jumped 10x to $383 mn. The space saw
Financial services deal activity was subdued in H2 2018 on
several marquee deals marking bullish activity in this space
the back of credit quality issues for both the banking and non-
– Tata’s acquisition of Bhushan Steel and Usha Martin’s steel
banking segments and concerns on the financial health of
rope business aggregating $6.1 bn and Schneider’s $2.1 bn
large capital providers.
acquisition of the electrical and automation business of L&T.
Building on the momentum of previous years, CleanTech
continued to witness increasing investment appetite and large
buyouts – Renew Power’s $1.6 bn acquisition of Ostro Energy
being the landmark deal in this space.
Media and Entertainment also witnessed consolidation trends

and increasing deal values, which surged to $1.6 bn from
$408 mn last year. Reliance completed three large acquisitions
– Hathaway Cable, Saavn and Den Networks – accelerating
the consolidation activity, which is likely to gain further
momentum in the coming year as businesses look to realign the
business models in the wake of changing consumption patterns
in this space.
Consolidation trends in select themes and the pipeline of

current deal activity are likely to keep deal values high,
complemented by insolvency closures, which are now likely to
trickle in 2019. Volumes could see a temporary slowdown given
cautiousness around an election year.
Sumeet Abrol
Partner
Grant Thornton Advisory Private Limited
Economic outlook
• Economic indicators
• Regulatory reforms
• Impact of GST reforms
• IBC
• RERA
• Companies Act
• Ind AS
Economic indicators
India remained ahead of China to retain the tag of the world’s fastest growing large economy, withstanding several ups and
downs, spike in oil prices and global trade war like situation during 2018.
Steady and resilient growth performance by multiple Asian economies has led to the centre of gravity of global geopolitics shifting
towards Asia. Amid the changing power balance between nations, India has emerged as a bright spot and potential global leader.
With an average growth rate of 7.2%, a favourable demographic profile and a large and growing consumer market, India is likely
to be the most compelling growth story of the decade.
India’s ranking in the World Bank’s ‘ease of doing business’ report improved for the second straight year, jumping 23 places to the
77th position on the back of encouraging reforms related to insolvency, taxation and other areas.
3000 9%
2689.9
The Indian economy advanced 7.1% y-o-y in the third quarter 2273.5
2602.3
8%
2500
of 2018, well below 8.2% in the previous period and market 2039.1 2102.3 7%
expectations of 7.4%. It is the lowest growth rate in three quarters, 2000 6%
mainly due to a slowdown in consumer spending amid high oil 5%

$ bn
1500
4%
prices and a weaker rupee. Also, inventories, financial services,
1000 3%
manufacturing and the farm sector grew at a slower pace. 2%
500
1%
The slowdown was due to a weaker rise in private consumption
0 0%
and substantially faster growth in the imports of goods and 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
services. Private consumption appeared to be weighed on
GDP $bn Annual GDP Growth rate
by cautious spending among rural households amid a weak
crop harvest and low agricultural commodity prices. Imports, Industrial production output
meanwhile, were likely stoked by higher oil prices. On a brighter
9%
note, there were stronger expansions in public consumption, fixed 8.5%
8.1%
8%
investment and exports in the third quarter. Turning to the fourth 7.3% 7.5%
6.9% 7%
7% 6.5%
quarter, the outlook appears mixed: Although the private-sector
6%
PMI hit an over two-year high in November, consumer confidence 5.3%
4.5% 4.7% 4.5%
5%
slipped in the same month. 3.8%
4%
Overall economic growth is expected to accelerate this fiscal year 3%
due to the faster private consumption and investment growth. 2%
However, fiscal slippage in the run-up to the general elections next 1%
year, global trade protectionism and oil price volatility all cloud 0%
Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
the outlook. 2017 2018
Balance of trade
2017 2018 National-debt-to-GDP ratio
Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov 72%
0.00
-2.00 71%
-4.00
-6.00 70%
-8.00
$ bn
-10.00 69% 71.1%

-12.00 69.9%
-12 69.5% 69.5%
-14.00 68%
-13.6 -13.7 -14
-16.00 -14.8 -14.6
67% 67.8%
-18.00 -16.3 -16.6 -16.6
-17.3 -17.1
-20.00 -18.2
66%
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Consumer price inflation remained within the target
Inflation rate
band, partly reflecting one-off factors, such as a good
10%
monsoon, lower excise taxes on oil products and the
9%
government’s request to public-sector oil marketing 8%
companies to lower their margins. However, pressures 7%
8.8%
on inflation are rising from the rupee depreciation and 6%
recent increases in wages and housing allowances for 5%

5.2% 5% 4.9%
public employees. 4% 4.4% 4.2% 4.5%
4.1% 3.3%
3.6% 3.7%
3%
Core inflation and inflation expectations are edging up. 2% 2.3%
At the same time, the government’s inflation targeting 1%
mechanism has ensured that inflation has hovered 0%

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
around the target rate of 4%. Despite pressure on 2017 2018
emerging market economies, India was able to improve its

macroeconomic stability score from 88.7 to 89.8.
The current account deficit is increasing, driven by

India’s growth differential with other economies and
higher oil prices. Financing the deficit is becoming more
challenging as FDI inflows are sluggish and portfolio
capital is being pulled out by higher yields in advanced
economies. The government has hiked import duties to
limit the current account deficit and lessened constraints
on firms’ external borrowing. Ratios of public deficit and
debt to GDP remain high.
Encouraging FDI FDI in India

• The Government of India is planning to consider 100% 50
43.48
FDI in insurance intermediaries in India to give a boost 45 40
to the sector and attract more funds. 40
• The Government of India allowed foreign airlines to 35
30.93
invest in Air India up to 49% with government approval. 30 28.04
$ bn
• No government approval will be required for FDI up to 25 24.3
100% in real estate broking services. 20
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government 15
of India, has eased the approval mechanism for 10
5
FDI proposals by doing away with the approval of
0
Department of Revenue and mandating clearance of
FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018
all proposals requiring approval within 10 weeks of the
receipt of application.
Sources: Trading economics, statisca, IBEF, OECD
Regulatory reforms
Cross-border mergers – Foreign Exchange Management The central government has granted the following exemptions
Act (FEMA)/FDI by which certain entities or deals are exempt from the
With the improvement in ease of doing business ranking along provisions of sections 5 and 6 of the Competition Act (which
with the Reserve Bank of India’s notification of Cross Border regulate business combinations).
Merger (CBM) Regulations on 20 March 2018, India will
• Exemption for small or medium-sized deals based on
continue to be a favoured destination for FDI according to a
asset value/turnover: Such mergers, amalgamations
UN trade report. The RBI regulations on cross-border mergers
or acquisitions shall not be treated as combinations.
recognise two categories including inbound mergers, where
Accordingly, such combinations can take effect immediately
the resultant company is an Indian company, and outbound
and notice in respect of the same need not be given to the
mergers, where the resultant company is a foreign company.
Competition Commission of India (CCI)
Cross-border mergers – Companies Act • Amalgamation of two or more regional rural banks by issue
Section 234 of the Companies Act, 2013 provides for the of a notice under section 23A of the Regional Rural Banks
scheme of mergers and amalgamations between companies Act, 1976
registered under the said act and foreign companies. However, • All combinations under section 5 involving central public
in case of outbound mergers, only companies which come sector enterprises operating in oil and gas sector under the
under the jurisdictions of such countries (which are notified by Petroleum Act.
the central government) are eligible. • Every person or enterprise who is party to a combination as
referred to in section 5 from giving notice to the CCI
The foreign company is required to ensure that valuation • All of the above exemptions have been granted for five years
is conducted by valuers who are members of a recognised beginning from 2017
professional body in the jurisdiction of such foreign company. • All cases of reconstitution, transfer of whole or any part
The valuation is required to be conducted in accordance with thereof, and amalgamation of nationalised banks for a
the internationally accepted principles of accounting and period of 10 years from 30 August 2017.
valuation.
Tax-related concerns still act as a deterrent to foreign investors

in the case of outbound mergers, and we expect clarity to
emerge in the ensuing budget. Outlook for 2019
Recent reporting developments – Single Master Form Various developments in the tax and regulatory
(SMF) – reporting environment in India and, in particular, the cross-border
In its first bi-monthly monetary policy review dated 5 April merger provisions issued by the RBI have laid the
2018, the RBI has integrated the prevailing reporting structures ground rules for allowing such mergers. We are seeing
of various types of foreign investments in India and, for this increasing interest among corporates to consider such
purpose, introduced an SMF Now, all forms which were being re-organisations to optimise their business activities
filed separately by corporates have been integrated within (especially in cases relating to inbound mergers). This is
the SMF. The SMF is filed online on the Foreign Investment also setting the stage for enhanced deal activities.
Reporting and Management System (FIRMS) portal. The
reporting entity should register on the portal and record the
details of the entity in the Entity Master Form (EMF). Once the R Sridhar
EMF is successfully created, the reporting entity can comply Partner
with its reporting requirements on an ongoing basis. Grant Thornton India LLP
Competition Act
Impact of GST reforms
Amid economic instability across the globe, India has become rates, which meant the overall incidence of tax did not rise.
a beacon of hope with ambitious growth targets supported
Another factor was anti-profiteering for which the National
by various strategic initiatives like the Make in India and
Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) is in full force to ensure that
Digital India campaigns. GST was another such initiative that
businesses do not abuse the transition and ultimate benefit is
is expected to be the much-needed stimulant for economic
passed on to the public. Also, with the introduction of the e-way
growth in India by transforming the existing base of indirect
bill mechanism, the movement of goods across state borders
taxation towards the free flow of goods and services.
has become seamless, eventually resulting in higher profits for
The transition period, after GST was announced, had its own businesses.
challenges, but it should also be taken into consideration
Further, the Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) has been set up
that the transition was expected for a political economy of
in every state to provide clarification on various technical and
1.3 bn people and needed the amalgamation of multiple
classification issues to facilitate businesses to avoid litigation.
rates comprising as many as 17 taxes and 23 cesses into one
It is expected to be more centralised in the future to bring
nationwide GST. While its implementation has been through
consistency in the economy.
testing waters, the government has put in its best efforts to
address various issues, including political deadlocks, frequent The introduction of the annual return and GST audits is another
amendments, clarifications, IT-related chaos, administrative major task for businesses to merge their financial results with
framework, compliances and rate rationalisation. There were their GST filings. There are many details - which were not
concerns about the industry’s preparedness, considering the mandatory in earlier filings - required in these forms, resulting
impact was far-reaching with changes in processes, business in extensive back working. The online utility to file these returns
models, supply chain, IT infrastructure, pricing, working capital, has still not been introduced in the public domain. Other
etc. However, it eventually turned out that India Inc has handled technical problems and challenges, if any, will be known only
this big change fairly well with a major change felt by the SMEs at the time of filing.
and smaller businesses.
Following the tradition of extensions in due dates, the
This landmark change, after encouraging Indian businesses government has extended the due date of filing of GST
to become more transparent, compliant and join the formal annual return and annual audit by three months to 31 March
economy, has created many opportunities for deal activities in 2019. Although the extension of the date was expected,
India, which have since been on the rise. This was evident as the the government, this time, has made a positive move by
number of GST registrations crossed 10 mn as the formalisation announcing it much earlier and giving a relief to the taxpayers
of the economy kicked in. The tax base has widened, and there from unnecessary chaos and hassle. This would also help in
are more businesses signing up for GST. demonstrating that businesses are fully compliant with the
GST laws during the first year of GST. This will also prove to be
On the other hand, one of the major concerns with the new
beneficial for growing businesses seeking investments in the
tax system was the rise in inflation; however, the government
form of private equity (PE), acquisitions, mergers, etc.
has been able to control it thus far. It made all possible efforts
to ensure that the levy was as close as possible to the existing Authorities are also working on the new GST return formats,
which are expected to be implemented from 1 April 2019. This
will again require the taxpayers to get accustomed to new Outlook for 2019
filing formats and make requisite changes in their system. The
India’s growth rate is expected to accelerate over the
systems would ultimately get more robust with automation of
coming year and is likely to improve further to 7.4% as
processes taking priority in the coming years.
per the International Monetary Fund in 2019, as key
It can be said that GST implementation has been smooth for sectors would revive from disruptions related to the
organised businesses barring technology glitches. The market implementation of GST and demonetisation.
did not witness any unforeseen shoot-up in prices nor has
there been any shortage in the supply of goods and services.
However, there is a lot to be done to fine-tune the new system, Krishan Arora
like procedural simplification, lowering the overall compliance Partner
cost and trimming the tax slabs. Grant Thornton India LLP
RERA
Outlook for 2019
With RERA stabilising , the overall deal activity for the sector has been muted.
Regulators of various states are gaining momentum, and the action is already
pushing consolidation in the sector, with non-serious players moving out of the
game gradually and long-term players getting more credibility. The changes
arising after RERA are already transforming the processes and governance
levels of the companies in the real estate sector, thus leading to a transparent
environment, something that was severely lacking for the sector.
These developments are already creating a conducive environment for the investor
community and are likely to expedite the deal flow for 2019.
Neeraj Sharma
Director
Grant Thornton Advisory
Private Limited
IBC
IBC, a key reform measure in recent times aimed at the resolution (18%:4% up to 30 September), increased litigation
resolution of the corporate debtor, underwent a few significant and controversies surrounding the introduction of section 29A,
changes during the year. The Code itself has been amended the law has proved to be an impressive market-led proactive
multiple times since its inception and the regulator Insolvency mechanism for recovery. The Code has led to the recovery
and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has also issued several of dues for creditors not just within IBC but outside as well.
amendments and clarifications indicating that the government According to IBBI, operational creditors have recovered more
has its ears to the ground and is willing to make quick than INR 1 lakh crore ($1.4 bn) even before their insolvency
corrections to ensure better outcomes in the process. applications were admitted by the NCLT.
India’s progress in making the Code stronger ensures that The resolution framework is one of the key factors contributing
the country becomes a viable investment destination for to a considerably improved ‘ease of doing business’ ranking
foreign investors who can tap the opportunities presented with India climbing up to the 77th place in 2018 (jumping 53
during the process. The recent changes in regulations and places over the last two years).
practices based on legal jurisprudence are a reflection of the
List of notable upcoming IBC deals:
government’s intent. For almost two years, both the tribunals
and the Supreme Court have been working relentlessly to • Essar Steel - ArcelorMittal: INR 50,000 crore
manage the constant stream of appeals, counter appeals and • Bhushan Power and Steel - JSW Steel: INR 19,700 crore
litigations. While the litigation may be tedious, it is laying some • Alok Industries - Reliance Industries, JM Financial Asset
important ground rules for the future and will help the process Reconstruction: INR 5,050 crore
in the long run. • Amtek Auto - Liberty House: INR 4,404 crore
• Dalmia Bharat Ltd - Murli Industries Ltd: INR 402 crore
Resolution of 12 large accounts was initiated by banks in
• Blacktone - Golden Jubilee Hotels
2017 as directed by the RBI. Of these, 4 were resolved during
the year (Bhushan Steel, Electrosteel Steels, Monnet Ispat and
Amtek Auto) with an average realisation of 41% of the admitted
claims. The remaining 8 cases are at the final stages of the
process with two companies, namely Jyoti Structures and Outlook for 2019
Lanco Infratech, potentially heading for liquidation. The saga
of the Essar Steel case continues to take its twists and turns IBC presents a strong and real opportunity to pick up a
despite a fairly conclusive order from the Supreme Court in the strategic stake in companies whose cash accruals are
matter. We also recently saw another emerging situation where impacted more by economic and sectoral reasons with
a successful resolution applicant for one of these 12 cases was the potential to augment their operations with requisite
unable to comply with the terms of its own resolution plan. funding. The competitive process can run transparently
and the results are known in a time-bound manner – a
Paying heed to the best global practices in insolvency, the key ask for the vast community of investors. More so, the
government is assessing the potential of a ‘pre-packaged’ Code offers an attractive and conducive environment
bankruptcy scheme with an objective to speed up the for the entrepreneurs and for the development of global
resolution process. This will most likely open up several investors’ confidence in the Indian economy.
opportunities for investors interested in value buys of stressed
companies. However, it will be interesting to see the interplay
between this and the landmark circular of 12 February issued Ashish Chhawchharia
by the RBI which, among other matters, abolished all prior Partner
forms of restructuring outside of IBC.
GT Restructuring Services LLP
Despite the challenges facing the Code in terms of longer
timelines and higher number of liquidations compared to
Companies Act
The Companies Act 2013 (the Act) was introduced in 2014 from special courts to in-house adjudication. It now has a
and has undergone quite a few changes since it was first transparent technology-driven mechanism, de-clogging
established through rules, orders, circulars and amendments. NCLT by increasing the Central Government’s powers to
approve routine matters and enhancing the regional director’s
The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2017 (the Amendment
pecuniary jurisdiction, relaxing compliance requirements
Act) was the second amendment of the Act, of which various
relating to public deposits, commencement of business
sections were made effective in a phased manner over the year
declarations, filing of charges, and holding of directorships
2018, barring very few, which are yet to be notified. Based on
beyond permissible limits.
the guiding principles, the Amendment Act addressed - among
other aspects - the need for striking a balance between the
interest of various stakeholders, simplifying processes and/ Outlook for 2019
or doing away with unnecessary procedures, and achieving
greater transparency and disclosures in view of lesser Overall, the government and regulatory authorities
regulatory interference and greater self-regulation. have continued on the chosen path of ensuring ease of
doing business by reducing compliance requirements
The amendments also targeted creating a positive environment where possible, automating submission and processing
for start-ups by reducing the compliance burden in case of of documents/returns, removing difficulties faced by
private placement procedures, simplifying procedures for businesses while at the same time promoting self-
converting an LLP into a company, allowing start-ups to raise regulation for compliance with the Act and regulations,
deposits for the initial five years without any upper limits and and increased governance norms. Such initiatives have
issuing ESOPs to promoters working as employees. Further, attracted foreign investors to invest in and collaborate
the amendments have relaxed the requirements relating to with Indian business houses in order to take advantage
foreign nationals who are proposed to be managing directors/ of the immense potential that the unique Indian market
whole-time directors, enhanced thresholds applicable for offers to the world economy, which was partially diluted
private companies to comply with provisions relating to having in the past due to the notion of over-regulation and
independent directors, audit committee, etc., and significant compliance burden.
changes in relation to managerial remuneration provisions from
regulated regime to self-governance.
Ashish Chhawchharia
In November 2018, the honourable President gave his assent Partner
to the promulgation of Companies Amendment (Ordinance), GT Restructuring Services LLP
2018, which was introduced with the twin objectives of
promotion of ease of doing business and better corporate
compliance. The amendments included rationalisation of
fines and penalties, and shifting of 16 corporate offences
Indian Accounting Standards
(Ind AS)
Accounting that puts substance before form Despite the successes of transition to Ind AS, this globally
recognised framework will be tested extensively in the coming
The financial year that ended on 31 March 2018 concluded
months and years for the following situations unique to India
the first phase of the implementation of Indian accounting
and co-terminus:
standards, where all listed companies and those with a
net worth of over INR 250 crore experienced a transition to 1. Rigour of IBC on the hygiene of the financial statements,
globally recognised accounting standards. The second phase both prior to the admission and post resolution
of implementation with NBFCs and banks adopting these 2. Adoption of Ind AS 109 by banks at a time when there are
standards, particularly, Ind AS 109, is on the way and we shall concerns around their asset quality
witness them by June 2019. 3. Implementation of new standards, Ind AS 115 by real estate
companies and Ind AS 116 by companies that have leased
We have noted that although companies faced some
assets, for example, aviation.
challenges while transitioning, (particularly significant
differences between the tax accounting standards and Ind AS),
they have now started to see the advantages of more evolved
accounting standards, with greater focus on the substance of
the underlying commercial transaction. Outlook for 2019
In our experience, the following had, and shall continue to have, In our view, Ind AS have the capacity and capability to
the most impact on the financial matrices of the companies in address various challenges provided the stakeholders,
the IT and ITeS and e-commerce sectors: inter alia, investors and boards of companies, actively
inculcate these standards in their regular business
1. Accounting for business combination, especially treatment communication, internal or external. These standards,
of common control transactions, amid court-approved focusing on the substance, provide a better accounting,
schemes presentation and disclosure of business transactions,
2. Classification of financial instrument into equity or liability thereby helping relevant users make informed decisions.
3. Revenue recognition, especially arrangements negotiated
together but documented in separate contracts
Similarly, the following factors had and will continue to impact

Ashish Gupta
the financial matrices of the companies in the manufacturing,
retail and consumer space: Director
Grant Thornton Advisory Private Limited
1. Accounting for property, plant and equipment, particularly,
classification of item of expenditure into components and
consequent adjustments with the related cost of asset
2. Treatment of incentives, rebates and other arrangements
across the distribution channel
3. Classification of warranty between service and assurance
and estimation thereof
Private equity
dealscape
• Sector focus
• Top 10 deals - 2018
• State-wise PE investments in
India
• Notable PE investments in
2018
• PE exit trend
• Expert speak
Sector focus
The start-up sector continued to remain the favourite of private equity and venture capital, which is reflected in the investment
values (2.4x growth as compared to 2017), though volumes remained fairly stable. While banking and e-commerce led the
investment volumes, reforms like the RERA Act 2016 helped and are still helping the real estate sector become one of the largest
growing sectors attracting PE investors’ attention. Energy and pharma sectors also attracted big ticket investments driving the PE
deal values. Agriculture, infra, manufacturing and education sectors also attracted significant investments as compared to 2017.
Banking and
financial services
Start-up 1,878 4,140 1,935 Pharma, healthcare
2,412 2,186 5,273
38 42 45 and biotech
665 453 466 656 846 1,254
Energy and natural 30 23 24

resources
Real estate 481 639 1,861
1,519 2,864 2,763 7 8 18
18 24 23
Agriculture and
forestry
158 60 1,211
9 2 4
IT and ITeS E-commerce

1,367 814 731
975 6,034 1,118
50 53 40
31 33 45
Infrastructure
Retail and consumer management
335 587 617 128 70 1,092
29 29 36 4 7 5
Manufacturing Education Media and

981 47 593 208 99 568 Entertainment
18 6 11 19 15 23 156 523 270
17 15 17
Values $mn 2016 2017 2018

Volume 2016 2017 2018
Top 10 deals - 2018
PE/VC trend by values ($bn) PE/VC trend by volumes
9.1 8.1
5.4 876
3.6 849
628 648
10.8 11.4 12.3

10.3
173 123 109 138
2015 2016 2017 2018
2015 2016 2017 2018
PE VC
PE VC
Top deals accounted for 34% of the total PE deal values
Investor Investee Sector Stake Investment

% values in $mn
To fund the largest acquisition
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority UPL Ltd - UPL Corp Agriculture and 22% 1,200 of Arysta Lifescience Inc, UPL
and TPG Capital Asia forestry Ltd raised $1.2 bn, making it
the largest funding in 2018.
Naspers, Tencent Holdings, Bundl Technologies Pvt Start-up N.A. 1,000
Hillhouse Capital, Wellington Ltd - Swiggy.com
Management, DST Global,
Meituan Dianping and Coatue With this funding, Swiggy
Management has become the fifth most
SoftBank Corp, Sequoia Oravel Stays Pvt Ltd - Start-up N.A. 900 valuable start-up in India at
Capital, Lightspeed Venture OYORooms.com a valuation of $3.3 bn. The
Partners, Grab latest round marks the single
largest investment in any one
Blackstone Group Lp Indiabulls Properties Real estate 50% 742 particular round in the Indian
Pvt Ltd and Indiabulls FoodTech sector.
Real Estate Company
Midlothian Capital Partners Cox & Kings Ltd - HB Hospitality and 100% 609
Education Limited leisure
KKR’s investment in REEL

KKR Ramky Enviro Engineers Infrastructure 60% 530 marks is one of the largest
Ltd (REEL) management buyouts in India, in addition to
being the first private equity
GIC, Greenko Ventures and Greenko Energy Energy and N.A. 447 buyout in the country’s highly
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Holdings Pvt Ltd natural attractive environmental
resources services sector.
GIC Exora Business Parks Real estate 40% 406
Limited
SoftBank Paytm E-commerce Start-up N.A. 400

Private Limited - Paytm Gains unicorn status.
Mall
Lone Star Funds and RattanIndia Finance Banking and 50% 400
RattanIndia Group Pvt Ltd financial
services
Naspers, Canada Pension Plan Think & Learn Pvt Ltd - Education N.A. 400 This rounds makes Byju’s the
Investment Board, General Byju's 4th most valuable start-up in
Atlantic India.
State-wise PE investments in
India
With nearly 80% of the total investments in 2018, NCR, Karnataka and Maharashtra received a significant interest in terms of PE
investments. The start-up sector dominated investment volumes across nine top states, attracting the maximum PE attention. India is
becoming home to start-ups focused on high growth areas like mobility, e-commerce and other vertical specific solutions, creating
new markets and driving innovation.
Delhi
Top sector: Start-up Haryana
Values: 1,562 | Volume: 60 Values: 1828 | Volume: 106
Rajasthan
Values: 348 | Volume: 13 Uttar Pradesh
Top sector: Start-up Values: 319 | Volume: 31
Values: 36 | Volume: 6 Top sector: Start-up
Gujarat
West Bengal
Top sector: Banking and
financial services
Maharashtra Values: 13 | Volume: 4
Top sector: Start-up Andra Pradesh
Values: 492 | Volume: 107 Values: 1,864 | Volume: 32
Tamil Nadu
Karnataka Values: 30 | Volume: 13
Top sector: Start-up Top cities by volumes
Cities Values $mn Volumes
Bengaluru 4,962 217
Kerala
Values: 40 | Volume: 8 Mumbai 5,815 174
Values: 15 | Volume: 5 Gurugram 1,802 101
Delhi 3,063 92
Chennai 1,383 42
Hyderabad 1,861 31
Values in $mn
Pune 290 25
Noida 299 23
Ahmedabad 145 12
Jaipur 309 11
Notable PE investments in
2018
Swiggy raises $1 bn in its Series H round UPL Ltd acquires Arysta LifeScience Inc,
of funding led by Naspers and Tencent raises $1.2 bn from ADIA and TPG Capital
Holdings Asia
Start-up Agriculture and forestry

Rationale: With its latest funding, Swiggy has Rationale: UPL Ltd announced that its
become the fifth most valuable start-up in the wholly owned subsidiary UPL Corp, US,
country, commanding a valuation of $3.3 bn had signed a definitive agreement with
and underscoring the stunning rise of a venture Platform Specialty Products Corporation
that was launched four years ago. Existing to acquire Arysta LifeScience Inc and
investors like Hillhouse Capital Group, Wellington its subsidiaries. The agreement will see
Management, DST Global, Meituan Dianping and ADIA and TPG Capital Asia invest $1.2
Coatue Management also participated in this bn ($600 mn each) for a 22% combined
round of funding. shareholding in UPL Corp to facilitate UPL
Corp’s $4.2 bn acquisition of Arysta.
Swiggy is expected to use a significant amount
of its funding to enter new businesses and areas,
especially in the hyperlocal space. The fresh
capital infusion will provide more ammunition
to Swiggy as it battles Zomato, Foodpanda
and UberEats. Swiggy will also use the capital
to hire talent across mid and senior levels,
especially for machine learning and engineering
roles. The company will further strengthen its
technology backbone and focus on building a
next-generation artificial intelligence (AI)-driven
platform for hyperlocal discovery and on-demand
delivery.
PE exit trend
2018 witnessed about 67exits valued at around $13.7 bn. Though volumes witnessed a 26% decline, aggregate exit values doubled
as compared to 2017. This was mainly driven by Walmart’s majority state acquisition of Flipkart providing stellar returns to its
investors via secondary sale. Secondary sale was the preferred exit route capturing 66% of the total exit volumes.
PE exit trend by volumes PE exit route by volumes
39 40 50
46 44
23
32
29
53 51 44 9 9
12
5 7 6
1
2016 2017 2018 Buyback IPO Open market Secondary Sale

transaction
Full exit Part exit 2016 2017 2018
PE sector exit by volumes PE sector exit by values
18% 2%
2% 2%
2% E commerce
3%
33% E commerce 4% Real estate
services Banking and financial services
8%
12% IT and ITES IT and ITES
Pharma, healthcare and Energy and natural resources
biotech
Automotive
Retail and consumer
Transport and logistics Retail and consumer
12% Others Others
7%
77%
8% 10%
Notable PE exits
Investor exited Investee company Part/full exit Sector
Softbank Flipkart Online Services Pvt Ltd Part exit E-commerce
Tiger Global Management Flipkart Online Services Pvt Ltd Part exit E-commerce
Naspers Flipkart Online Services Pvt Ltd Full exit E-commerce
Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Baring Private RMZ Corp Full exit Real estate
Equity Partners
Accel India and Accel US Flipkart Online Services Pvt Ltd Full exit E-commerce
Expert speak
The Indian PE/VC industry set a record-

breaking benchmark of 737 deals worth
$20.5 bn in 2017. With 786 deals worth $20.5
bn in 2018, the industry has proven that 2017
was not merely a one-time phenomenon and
that the PE/VC industry has entered a phase
of maturity.
Despite 2018 witnessing only two billion-dollar deals compared The year also witnessed global sovereign pension funds (such
to five in 2017, the investment values were able to match the as CPPIB, Oman India Joint fund, Abu Dhabi Investment,
2017 levels because of the 45 deals in the $100 mn+ range GIC, Khazanah, etc.) and conglomerates (such as Fosun)
compared to only 25 in the previous year. Both the companies focusing more on Indian assets, particularly in the consumer
and investors are favouring larger ticket sizes owing to multiple and infrastructure space. With roughly a fifth of the world’s
reasons like entrepreneurs chasing bigger dreams and projects population and the fastest growing economy in the world, India
needing larger capital, investors opening up to larger stakes, represents a key market for investors who are setting up local
more mature companies adopting the PE route for strategic offices to scout for quality assets and long-term commitment.
expansion leading to larger deals, and capital being raised. These players with deep pockets complement the traditional
This is a healthy and self-sustaining cycle, which is expected to PEs by accommodating varied sectors, timeframes and return
continue going forward. expectations.
Of the $20.4 bn PE investment in 2018, start-ups contributed While 2018 was a healthy year for PE/VC investments
26%, followed by real estate (14%), banking, financial services and exits, challenges such as valuation expectations and
and insurance (BFSI) and energy (9% each), healthcare corporate governance persist, requiring a cautious approach
(including pharma) and agriculture (fertilisers) contributing 6% from investors. PEs are forced to bet on the many mediocre
each totalling over 70% from these top sectors. Deal volumes assets that are riding on the back of a few deserving targets
were driven by start-ups, BFSI, e-commerce, IT and ITeS, and with high valuations. Nevertheless, measures like NCLT, GST
consumer sector. Funds continue to emphasise on platform and companies law revamp have helped in reviving investor
play as a key theme to consolidate expertise and synergies confidence and the sector is poised to continue to outperform
within a sector and facilitate a possibly larger exit opportunity in the coming years.
in the future. This is evident in Softbank’s e-commerce/
consumer pursuit, Blackstone’s real-estate play, InVascent/ From a macro perspective, 2018 ended with a tinge of
Orbimed’s healthcare focus, etc. Further, technology as an uncertainty due to headwinds such as oil price spikes, INR
enabler continues to be a key deal driver across sectors. lows and election results in a few key states contrary to
expectations. In view of the upcoming general elections in 2019,
Exits continued to maintain momentum with strategic sale PE/VCs may consider taking a wait-and-watch approach in
being the preferred mode driving exit values. Exits in the last the immediate term. However, this may not affect the already
couple of years are nearing investment values, heralding the prevailing positive sentiments in sectors like technology and
onset of maturity in the Indian PE/VC landscape and boosting consumer. From an exit standpoint, IPOs may tread a cautious
the confidence of Limited Partners (LPs) . However, e-commerce path making strategic sale a preferred mode.
alone accounted for almost 70%-80% of the exit values, and we Vrinda Mathur
are yet to see if it will ultimately result in tangible value creation Partner
for the stakeholders. Grant Thornton India LLP
Start-up India
• Quarterly deal trend
• Top deals - 2018
• Start-up funding chart and
Unicorns
• Geographic spread
• Start-up summary based on
business model
• Sector focus
• Expert speak
Quarterly deal trends
M&A trend
M&A activities in the Indian start-up sector have picked up considerably over the past years. Start-up deal activity witnessed an
overall positive trend with a 13% increase in the values and a 25% increase in the volumes in 2017. In addition to the traditional M&A
activity undertaken for consolidation of businesses/synergies in operations/achieving efficiencies, among other things, a number of
Indian M&A transactions in the start-up sector are also driven mostly with the need of acquiring skilled staff.
summary

Deal
$876 mn $701 mn $793 mn

Top deals
PayUmoney - Citrus PropTiger Realty Pvt Ltd ANI Technologies Pvt

Payment Solutions Pvt Ltd Housing.com - Locon Ltd-Olacabs.com Vogo
($130 mn) Solutions Pvt Ltd Automotive Pvt Ltd
($250 mn) ($100 mn)
450 60
385
400 363
50 50
350 297
43
300 40
231
Volumes
250 32 208 32
$ mn
29 30
200 170 23 27 29
156
150 20 122 23 109 107 132 24 20
90 18
100
10
50
- -
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2016 2017 2018
Values $ mn Volumes
value
Retail (21%) Discovery platform Travel, transport and

Top sector by
(10%) logistics (34%)

volume
Retail (16%) Enterprise applications FinTech (18%)

volume
and infrastructure
(14%)
PE trend
2018 has been a record-breaking year for start-up funding with investment values more than doubling to $5.3 bn over 2017, while
volumes recorded a marginal increase of 3%. This surge in the deal values was on account of an increase in later-stage investments.
The increase in the number of series C and D deals this year indicates a renewed interest and faith in the Indian start-up ecosystem.
This allows start-ups to accelerate the growth momentum, win in the market as well as launch or expand in different geographies,
and acquire other companies.

summary
Deal
$2,412 mn $2,176 mn $5,273 mn
Tencent, Foxconn, Tiger SoftBank, Hero Enterprise, Naspers, Tencent, Hillhouse

Top deals
Global, Bharti Enterprises Sequoia, Lightspeed Capital, Wellington

and Softbank - Hike Ltd Venture Partners and Management, DST Global,
($175 mn) Greenoaks Capital Meituan Dianping and
- Oravel Stays Pvt Ltd - Coatue Management -
OYORooms.com Bundl Technologies Pvt Ltd
($250 mn) - Swiggy.com
($1,000 mn)
3,000 250
2,501
2,500 199 200
2,000 171
147
Volumes
148 121 118 116 121 150
129
$ mn
1,500 127 86 1,079 1,014 100 100

1,000 773 760 679
491 782
443 436 440 464 50
500
- -
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2016 2017 2018
Values $ mn Volumes
value
Retail (26%) Travel, transport FoodTech (26%)

Top sector by
and logistics (24%)

volume
Enterprise Enterprise applications FinTech (18%)

volume
applications and and infrastructure

infrastructure (15%)
(13%)
Top M&A deals
These top five deals accounted for 36% of the total start-up values
Acquirer Target Sub-sector $mn % stake

ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd - Olacabs.com Vogo Automotive Pvt Ltd Travel, transport and 100 N.A.
logistics
Kwang Yang Motor Co Ltd Twenty Two Motors Pvt Ltd Others 65 25%
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd Paytm E-commerce Private Limited Retail 45 N.A.
Essel Infraprojects Ltd - Essel Green Mobility ZipGo Technologies Pvt Ltd Travel, transport and 43 N.A.
logistics
Alibaba.com Singapore E-Commerce Pvt BusyBees Logistics Solutions Pvt Ltd Travel, transport and 35 N.A.
- Xpressbees logistics
Top PE deals
These top five deals accounted for 52% of total start-up values
Investor Investee Sub sector $mn

Naspers, Tencent Holdings, Hillhouse Capital, Bundl Technologies Pvt Ltd - Swiggy.com FoodTech 1,000
Wellington Management, DST Global, Meituan
Dianping and Coatue Management
SoftBank Corp, Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Oravel Stays Pvt Ltd - OYORooms.com Travel, transport 900
Partners, Grab and logistics
SoftBank Paytm E-commerce Private Limited - Paytm Retail 400
Mall
DST Global and Lightspeed Venture Partners Hiveloop Technology Pvt Ltd - Udaan Retail 225
Naspers, DST Global, Meituan-Dianping and Coatue Bundl Technologies Pvt Ltd - Swiggy.com FoodTech 210
Management
Top start-up funding chart
(2016-2018)
Start-ups raising highest rounds of funding in the last three
years
1,447 165 19 137
Bundl Technologies Pvt Curefit Healthcare Aaidea solutions Pvt. NesAway Technologies
Ltd - Swiggy.com Pvt Ltd Ltd - Milkbasket Pvt Ltd - NestAway
7 7 5 5
21 39 20
Rakyan Beverages Pvt. Sorting Hat Aaidea solutions Pvt Ltd

Ltd - RAW Pressery Technologies Private - Milkbasket
Limited -
Unacademy
5 5 5
Funds raised ($mn) Funding round
Start-ups that raised over $100 mn funding in aggregate in the
last three years
1,447 1,240 400 285
Bundl Technologies Pvt Oravel Stays Pvt Ltd - Paytm E-commerce Hiveloop Technology
Ltd - Swiggy.com OYORooms.com Private Limited - Paytm Pvt. Ltd - Udaan
Mall
7 3 1 3
178 165 150 137
Hike Ltd Curefit Healthcare Innovative Retail

Nestaway Technologies
Pvt Ltd Concepts Pvt Ltd -
Pvt Ltd - NestAway
BigBasket.com
2 7 1 5
125 120 110 107
Rivigo Services Pvt Ltd Just Buy Live Clues Network Pvt Ltd - Lendingkart
- Rivigo Enterprise Pvt Ltd ShopClues Technologies Pvt Ltd -
Lendingkart.com
2 2 1 3
Funds raised ($mn) Volumes
Unicorns 2018
In 2018, giant international conglomerates like SoftBank, Tencent

and Alibaba made big bets on start-ups, making India home
to 26 unicorns - the maximum number of unicorns in 2018. The
funding is an indication of appetite that the start-ups have for
funds and also the confidence level of investors in India.
Zomato Paytm Mall
$1.1 bn Byju’s $1.6 bn - 2 bn Swiggy

$1.8-2 bn $1.3 bn
PolicyBazaar Freshworks Oyo Rooms Udaan

$1 bn $1.1 bn $1.1 bn $1.1 bn
Unicorns 2018 Estimated valuation
Geographic spread
Bengaluru, Mumbai and Gurugram are the top three cities in India that have recorded a tremendous growth in start-ups. Also,
around 20% of the start-ups are established outside Bengaluru, NCR and Mumbai. This shows a rise in the number of startups in tier
2 and tier 3 cities.
Gurugram
Value | Volume
Delhi M&A 111 12
Value | Volume PE 421 70
M&A 144 15 Total 533 82
PE 1,562 60
Total 1,706 75
Jaipur Noida
Value | Volume Value | Volume
M&A 10 1 M&A 40 5
PE 35 5 PE 42 11
Total 45 6 Total 82 16
Mumbai
Value | Volume
M&A 90 23
PE 445 93 Kolkata
Total 535 116 Value | Volume
M&A 5 1
PE 3 3
Total 8 4
Pune Hyderabad
M&A 76 6 M&A 39 30
PE 44 12 PE 38 15
Total 120 18 Total 77 25
Kochi Bengaluru
M&A 5 1 M&A 236 30
PE 12 4 PE 2,527 156
Total 17 5 Total 2,763 186
Chennai
Value | Volume
M&A 9 2
PE 29 12
Total 38 14
Values in $mn
Start-up summary based on
business model breakdown
Funding for the B2B business (both M&A and PE) space is in conjunction with B2C, generating 35% of the total start-up deal
volumes and 22% of the deal values, indicative of a growing ecosystem. However, the biggest wins in the start-up segment have
been consumer companies, and that is likely to continue to be the case. The B2B segment witnessed investments in key segments
like enterprise application and infrastructure, data analytics, logistics and FinTech.
Start-up classification
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Values $ mn Volumes Values $ mn Volumes
M&A PE
B2B B2C Both P2P
While start-ups struggled to get a good amount of fundings in 2017, the year 2018 was the year of aggressive investments. India
witnessed a 142% growth - $2.2 bn to $5.3 bn - in the total funding scenario. While investments at the later stages saw a massive
growth of around 121% - from $603 mn in 2017 to $1.3 bn in 2018 - a decline was observed in the funding for companies at the
seed stage.
Funding series
3000 2,763 250
2500 200
2000
150
Volumes
$ mn
1500
100
1000 785
450386 370 447419 427 50
500 248 222 250210 210
131 100
30
0 0
>=Pre Series A Series B Series C Series D Series E Series F Series G Not
series A disclosed
Values 2017 Values 2018 Volumes 2017 Volumes 2018
Sector focus
The Fin Tech sector stood out in terms of start-up funding in 2018. It raised an
aggregate funding of $509 mn through 83 deals. This was driven by the government’s
aggressive push for cashless technologies like digital wallets, internet banking, mobile-
driven points of sale, etc., and the launch of the IndiaStack - eKYC, UPI and BHIM.
FoodTech and transport and logistics also raised significant funding during the year.
A lot of innovations by tech start-ups have seen an increasing traction from investors
in the HealthTech, retail and logistics sectors as a result of the effective utilisation of AI
and big data, and with the launch of IoT innovations, among others.
PE FinTech
166 287 509 Travel, transport and
57 59 83 logistics
323 513 1,255
Enterprise applications
and infrastructure 63 46 46
232 334 284

85 70 53 Retail
624 148 843
82 46 56
Discovery platforms
221 156 243
81 41 35
HealthTech
124 173 329
57 38 48
Data analytics and AI
53 63 47
30 28 27
On-demand services
137 102 154
61 30 28 FoodTech
123 121 1,384
27 13 15
Others
410 279 224
Top sectors based on deal volume 122 81 75
Values $mn 2016 2017 2018

Volume 2016 2017 2018
The FinTech segment was in the limelight in 2018 as big retail, banking, consumer, and
internet companies adopted the digital payments method, driving consolidation. Start-
ups tackling supply chain and logistics are innovating in a variety of areas. This has
pushed bigger companies to acquire start-ups in this segment, to equip themselves
with the latest technology and expand their market.
Data analytics, enterprise application and AI proved they were ready for disruption.
M&A FinTech
171 40 97 Travel, transport and
10 9 21 logistics
38 38 269
Enterprise applications
and infrastructure 10 9 18
91 58 45
20 13 10 Retail
181 36 86
23 6 11
Discovery platforms
82 73 40
18 10 8
HealthTech
25 16 15
6 4 3
Data analytics and big
data and AI
64 30 36
11 6 9
On-demand services
95 51 31
20 10 8 FoodTech
20 25 53
4 6 8
Others
109 334 121
Top sectors based on deal volume 23 18 18
Values $mn 2016 2017 2018

Volume 2016 2017 2018
Expert speak
2018 was an epochal year in the Indian

mercantile history. Flipkart’s acquisition
by Walmart is a huge thumbs-up to the
Indian start-up ecosystem and the growing
consumption power of digital India.
The $16 bn+ investment will spawn many millionaires and Although the net investments in start-ups may have come down,
inspire other entrepreneurs not just in Bengaluru but across they are certainly stabilising as early stage and late stage
India and the world. investments are both seeing a steady pace of growth in areas
like EduTech, HealthTech, and FinTech. We are also witnessing
The M&A action among start-ups is in an upswing. It grew 25% a fair amount of M&As in the tech start-up space given the high
from last year reaching 100+ deals, while the value seems to valuations of yesteryears’ performance outcomes, which is
have stagnated at about $793 mn with FinTech and travel and subject to natural course correction.
logistics leading the sub sectors at nearly 40 deals and about
$366 mn in value aggregation. 2019 will see a continuation of trends as start-ups absorb large
capital in B2C sectors like financial services, food aggregation,
In direct investments, although the deal volume stabilised at consumer brands, education and media/content services. With
about 450+ deals from the last year, the value of the deals a growing B2C segment, enterprise tech will continue to grow
increased to more than $3 bn, indicating a 142% jump in direct as exits are envisaged, given the rise in M&As. As India is home
investment – mainly driven by infusion in Ola, Oyo, Paytm and to the third largest start-up ecosystem, an increasing number
the new Unicorn Swiggy. of high quality start-ups across B2B and some in B2C will
continue to receive funding albeit varying valuations primarily
With one of the fastest growing economies in the world
determined by client/consumer traction than by pure leap of
witnessing 7.3% GDP growth and an increasingly mobile-first
faith and market size.
population standing at approximately 500 mn mobile internet
users, India will continue to adopt various internet-led services,
thus augmenting technology and start-ups across various Vidhya Shankar
sectors. A $100 mn infusion into Sharechat by Xiaomi and SAIf Executive Director
partners at a valuation of $460 mn is a strong indicator of the Grant Thornton India LLP
adoption of smartphones and mobile internet across rural and
metro India. Regional languages-based content start-ups have
seen a huge upsurge, perhaps mimicking ByteDance’s China
story.
Sector spotlight
• Overall sector focus
–– IT and ITeS
–– Banking and financial
services
–– Manufacturing
–– Retail and consumer
–– E-commerce
–– Sectors attracting big ticket
deals
Sector focus
Top sectors based on deal values $mn
A consolidation wave drove the values in telecom, e-commerce, manufacturing and energy sectors with the sectors witnessing
multi-billion dollar deals. These sectors together captured 61% of the total deal values in 2018.
Telecom
2016 2017 2018
3,971 26,056 19,260
E-commerce
2016 2017 2018
3,198 8,145 18,005
Manufacturing
2016 2017 2018
7,291 1,232 16,663
Energy and natural

resources
2016 2017 2018
18,493 2,499 13,976
IT and ITeS
2016 2017 2018
4,178 1,832 6,354
Start-up
2016 2017 2018
3,288 2,877 6,065
Retail and consumer

2016 2017 2018
639 1,238 5,924
Agriculture and forestry

2016 2017 2018
605 373 5,549

2016 2017 2018
3,006 7,306 4,652
Pharma, healthcare and

biotech
2016 2017 2018
5,358 3,078 3,757
Real estate
2016 2017 2018
1,941 3,288 3,304
Media and Entertainment

Infrastructure management 2016 2017 2018
2016 2017 2018 1,136 931 1,876
799 711 1,520
Data includes both M&A and PE
Top sectors based on deal volumes
Driven by an uptick in the start-up funding space, the sector topped the deal volumes contributing to 46% of the total deal
volumes in 2018. This was followed by IT, banking and e-commerce sector together capturing 20% of the deal volumes.
Start-up
2016 2017 2018
810 543 580
IT and ITeS
2016 2017 2018
106 123 105

2016 2017 2018
71 67 77 E-commerce
2016 2017 2018
49 54 69
Retail and consumer

2016 2017 2018
57 54 61
2016 2017 2018
84 58 60
Manufacturing
2016 2017 2018
55 39 53
Media and Entertainment
2016 2017 2018
45 36 46
Education
2016 2017 2018
25 23 37 Energy and natural resources
2016 2017 2018
34 20 36
Real estate
2016 2017 2018
23 31 29
IT and ITeS
Yearly deal trend
50 15 15 27 15 18 Average deal size $ mn
5,622
6,000 70 80
56 65
Volumes
4,000 50 53 60
2,811
$ mn
40 40
2,000 1,018 1,367
814 731 20
- -
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
M&A PE
Values $ mn Volumes
Sub-sector classification
100%
90% BPO/KPO
80% IT solutions
70%
60% Software development
50% Cloud technology
40%
30% Mobile VAS
20%
Data analytics, big data and AI
10%
0% Others
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Values Volumes
Top M&A deals

These top five deals accounted for 75% of the total sector deal values

HCL Technologies Ltd International Business Machines Software development 1,800 100%
Corp. (IBM) - 8 Software Products
Teleperformance Intelenet Global Services Private Ltd BPO/KPO 1,000 100%
Birlasoft (India) Limited KPIT Technologies Ltd IT solutions 700 N.A.
Ensono Holdings Wipro Ltd - hosted data centre IT solutions 405 N.A.
services business
HCL Technologies Ltd and Sumeru Equity Actian Corporation Inc Data analytics and 330 100%
Partners big data and AI
Data includes both M&A and PE
Top PE deals
These top deals accounted for 59% of the total sector values
Investor Investee Sub-sector $mn % stake

Temasek and PayPal Holdings Inc Pine Labs Pvt Ltd IT solutions 125 N.A.
Accel Partners, Sequoia Capital and FreshDesk Technologies Pvt Ltd Software development 100 N.A.
CapitalG
Shunwei Capital, Morningside Ventures, Mohalla Tech Pvt Ltd - Sharechat Mobile VAS 99 N.A.
Jesmond Holdings, Xiaomi, Lightspeed
Partners, SAIF Partners, Venture Highway
Actis Capital and Altimeter Capital Pine Labs Pvt Ltd IT solutions 82 N.A.
Accel Partners Browserstack Software Pvt Ltd IT solutions 50 N.A.
Meritech Capital Partners, PSP Growth, Cross Icertis Inc Software development 50 N.A.
Creek Advisors, B Capital Group, Ignition
Partners, Eight Roads Ventures and Greycroft
Partners
Expert speak
The M&A deal volume (65 deals) in 2018 was lower than that in 2018 witnessed high deal value in IT solutions and mobile VAS
2017 (70 deals). However, the total deal value was higher at segments as compared to 2017 due to multiple investments in
$5,622 mn as compared to $1,018 mn in 2017 primarily due retail POS and messaging sub segments, respectively.
to five large deals with deal value of over $250 mn. Such large
deals were absent in 2017 as the industry was facing political With a strong base in the global sourcing market and gradual
uncertainties like curbs on outsourcing/H1B visas in the US adaption to the technological advancements, the deal activity
and exit of Britain from EU, and new technology adaptations in the Indian IT and ITeS industry is expected to increase in
like automation/data analytics/AI. The industry has embraced 2019. Since innovation and agility have become essential
and/or adapted to these challenges, hence the deal value was ingredients, one can expect to see a convergence of new
higher than that in 2016 with 56 deals worth $2,811 mn. technologies (for example cloud platforms with powerful
analytics/AI make real-time services available), demand
India’s cost competitiveness in providing IT services and for blockchain capabilities (this is an emerging technology
continuing to be the mainstay of the global sourcing market is but is yet to be fully explored) and emergence of strategic
clearly reflected in the three large inbound deals worth partnerships (this is necessitated by the complexity of new
$1,686 mn in BPO/KPO and IT solutions sectors. Further, technological developments). With several innovation centres
the outbound deals were in new technology-related data set up in India by global IT firms, it augurs well for the country
analytics/big data/AI and cloud technology space, which were as it can strengthen its position in digital capabilities and
minimal in 2017. emerging technologies, which will open up new opportunities
for the Indian IT and ITeS industry in the ever changing
2018 PE activity reduced to 40 deals worth $731 mn as technological landscape.
compared to 53 deals worth $814 mn in 2017; the average
deal size increased for software development, IT solutions and
Shanthi Vijetha
mobile VAS segments. The software development segment
Director
continued to attract investments with 14 deals worth Grant Thornton India LLP
$246 mn compared to 21 deals worth $239 mn in 2017).
However, there has been a shift to ERP/CRM solutions from
the earlier concentration on online/mobile gaming. The year
services
Yearly trend
4,500 4,140 50
4,000 45
3,500 3,166 42 40
3,000 2,717 38
33
Volumes
32 30
2,500 1,935
$ mn
25 1,878
2,000 20
1,500 1,129
1,000 10
500
- -
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
M&A PE
Values $ mn Volumes
100%
90% Banking
80%
70% Mutual funds
60%
50% Financial services
40%
30% NBFC
20%
10% Insurance & TPAs
0%
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 Others
Volumes Values
Top M&A deals

IDFC Bank Ltd Capital First Ltd NBFC 1,460 N.A.
Tata Sons Ltd Panatone Finvest Ltd NBFC 237 40%
Ageas Insurance NV Royal Sundaram General Insurance Insurance and TPAs 205 40%
Ltd
Fairfax India Holdings Corporation - FIH Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd Banking 188 51%
Mauritius Investments
Ebix Inc CentrumDirect Limited - Financial services 185 100%
CentrumForex
Top PE deals
These top five deals accounted for 50% of the total sector values

Lone Star Funds and Rattan India Group RattanIndia Finance Pvt. Ltd NBFC 400 50%
Tamarind Capital Pte Ltd, Steadview Capital, Indiabulls Ventures Ltd Others 210 N.A.
ABG Capital and DF International Partners
Camas Investments Pte Ltd AU Small Finance Bank Limited Banking 147 5%
WF Asian Reconnaissance Fund, Rimco IIFL Wealth Management Ltd NBFC 113 5%
Mauritius, Amansa Holdings, General Atlantic,
Steadview and HDFC Standard Life Insurance
TPG, Norwest Venture Partners, Sequoia Five Star Business Finance Ltd NBFC 100 N.A.
Capital and Morgan Stanley Private Equity
Asia
Expert speak
India has a diversified financial sector undergoing rapid the capital requirements of Basel III, which has a deadline
expansion, both in terms of strong growth of existing financial of 31 March 2019. Most of the banks have put in place the
services firms and new entities entering the market. The framework for asset-liability match, credit and derivatives risk
financial services industry has various segments like banking, management. Total lending increased at a CAGR of 10.94%
insurance, private equity funds, asset management, NBFC, and the total deposits increased at a CAGR of 11.66% during
home finance, microfinance, micro housing finance, capital FY07-18 and are further poised for growth, backed by demand
markets, mutual funds, pension funds and, to a great extent, for housing and personal finance.
FinTech. Financial sector reforms in India have improved
resource mobilisations and allocation. The liberalisation of On 02 January 2018, The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code
interest rates and the easing of cash reserve norms have (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed in the Rajya Sabha,
helped mobilisation of funds to various sectors. It is pertinent to which provides a time-bound process to resolve insolvency of
analyse the growth and development under each segment of companies and individuals, the eligibility criteria for resolution
this industry as far as its performance in FY 2018 is concerned. applicants and a robust due diligence process. As part of the
On an overall basis, technology remains to be the key for government’s capital infusion plan of INR 65,000 crore in 21
every segment of this industry, since a significant chunk of this public sector banks during FY 19, INR 11,336 crore will be
industry is operated on the best platforms of IT. The financial infused in five PSU banks. The RBI has increased its key repo
service sector is very closely regulated. rate by 50 basis points to 6.50% in order to keep inflation
under control and accelerate economic growth.
Indian banking sector
Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 inserted
Indian banks are increasingly focusing on adopting integrated two new sections (viz. 35AA and 35AB) after section 35A of
approach to risk management. Banks have already embraced the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, which enable the union
the international banking supervision accord of Basel II. government to authorise the RBI to direct banking companies
According to the RBI, majority of the banks already meet to resolve specific stressed assets by initiating the insolvency
resolution process where required. The RBI has also been Insurance sector
empowered to issue other directions for resolution and appoint
or approve for appointment authorities or committees to advise The government’s effort of insuring the uninsured has gradually
banking companies for stressed asset resolution. The RBI improved insurance penetration and proliferation of insurance
mandated the Know Your Customer (KYC) standards, wherein schemes in the country. The Indian insurance sector is expected
all banks are required to put in place a comprehensive policy to grow to INR 20,16,000 crore by FY 2020, owing to the solid
framework in order to avoid money-laundering activities. economic growth and higher personal disposable incomes in
the country. Over FY12–18, premiums from new businesses of
As of September 2018, the government had in place the life insurance companies in India increased at a 14.44% CAGR
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) scheme, an open- to reach INR 19,400,000 crore and non-life insurance premium
ended scheme, and has also added more incentives. As on 18 (in INR) increased at a CAGR of 16.65%. Over the years, the
October 2018, under PMJDY, INR 86,481 crore was deposited share of the private sector in the life insurance segment has
and 329.90 mn accounts were opened in India. Also, 247.4 mn grown from around 2% in 2003 to 32.6% in April-May 2018. In
‘Rupay’ debit cards were issued to users. In addition to this, the non-life insurance segment, the share of the private sector
the government has launched India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) increased to 46.6% in 2018 from 14.5% in 2004.
and has opened branches across 650 districts to achieve the
objectives of financial inclusion. The IPPB will provide banking There are 24 life insurance and 34 non-life insurance
services to urban and rural areas, but its primary focus would companies in the Indian market, who compete on price and
be on the rural segment. products and services to attract customers. There are two
reinsurance companies.
In September 2018, the Ministry of Finance launched the
Financial Inclusion Index, which will be used to measure access, The intentions of the government to protect the lower stratum
usage and quality to financial services. of the society could be seen with the launch of the National
Health Protection Scheme under Ayushman Bharat. It provides
As an extensive database of credit information, the RBI has coverage of up to INR 5,00,000 for secondary and tertiary
decided to set up a Public Credit Registry (PCR), which will care hospitalisation to more than 10 crore poor and vulnerable
be accessible to all stakeholders. This will be an informatory families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries). The National
repository that collates all loan information of individual and Health Protection Mission will subsume the ongoing centrally
corporate borrowers. This will help banks distinguish between sponsored schemes - Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)
a bad and a good borrower and accordingly offer attractive and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS).
interest rates to good borrowers and higher interest rates to
bad borrowers. This would be of immense help to the banking The government is currently in the process of divesting its
industry, as it is a great measure for ascertaining credit investments in public sector units. It will merge three of the
worthiness. public sector insurance companies - Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd,
National Insurance Co. Ltd and United India Insurance Co. Ltd -
The RBI, on 27 August 2018, released a discussion paper titled and list the merged entity.
‘Banking Structure in India - The Way Forward’. The main theme
of this paper was how to make Indian banks ready to support Large insurers continue to expand, focusing on cost effective
future growth of Indian economy and incorporate learning from measures/cost rationalisation and aligning business models
recent global economic crisis. The major areas of discussion to realise reported embedded value (EV). The efforts of the
were (1) multi-layer banking structure, (2) continuous banking insurers are towards creating value from future business rather
licences, (3) size and conversion of banks and (4) dilution of than focusing on present profits. The thrust on digitisation
government stake in PSBs. continues with players investing in information technology to
automate various processes and cut costs without impacting
The year has indeed been very challenging for the banking service delivery. Digitisation is expected to reduce 15%-20%
industry. of the total cost for life insurance and 20-30% for non-life
insurance.
Source: https://www.ibef.org
Insurance is now perceived as a measure beyond normal Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)
protection and individuals and corporates stand to benefit a
lot, given that the consumer now has many options to choose NBFCs are present in the competing fields of vehicle financing,
from in the market. Going forward, increasing life expectancy, housing loans, hire purchase, lease and personal loans. The
favourable savings and greater employment in the private housing finance market in India is fragmented, with 80-plus
sector are expected to fuel demand for pension plans. Likewise, players. The big risks could come from falling real estate prices.
strong growth in the automotive industry over the next decade Even if population growth has slowed down, urbanisation
would be a key driver for the motor insurance market. is witnessing steady growth. Thus demand for new houses
is steady. The RBI cancelled the Certificate of Registration
Source : www.irdai.gov.in / www.ibef.org of 368 NBFCs in the first six months of 2018. NBFCs are
under pressure recently due to fears of a liquidity crisis, high
Asset Management Company (AMC) and mutual funds valuations and asset liability mismatches after the default of a
renowned NBFC.
The asset management industry in India is among the fastest
growing in the world. Currently, there are 44 AMCs in India. The FinTech in India
mutual fund industry in India has seen rapid growth in assets
under management (AUM). Total AUM of the industry stood FinTech or financial technology has become a buzzword in the
at INR 24,03,134 crore in November 2018. The government financial circles. The key FinTech innovations include artificial
launched the ‘Bharat 22’ exchange traded fund (ETF), which intelligence and cognitive opportunities, blockchain and
will be managed by ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, and is distributed ledger technology, robotic process automation and
looking to raise INR 8,000 crore initially. In the current year, cyber security.
HDFC Asset Management Company issued an initial public
offer of INR 2800 crore. SEBI has issued SEBI (Mutual funds) There is an explosion of FinTech innovation and enterprise in
(Amendment) Regulations, 2018 (amended regulations) to India. It has turned India into a leading FinTech and start-up
amend the SEBI (Mutual funds) Regulations, 1996 (principal nation in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched
regulations). These amended regulations have inserted new the Application Programming Interface Exchange (APIX), a
norms for shareholding and governance in mutual funds. In banking technology designed to reach 2 bn people without
order to bring more transparency in total expense ratio (TER), bank accounts worldwide. The government and the regulatory
SEBI has issued circulars to ensure that all scheme-related authorities have worked very hard to facilitate the availability
expenses, including commission paid to distributors, shall of safe and secure electronic modes of payments by strictly
necessarily be paid from the scheme only within the regulatory ensuring layers of security, both at the service providers’ end
limits and not from the books of AMC, its associate, sponsor, and at the users’ levels. Substantial awareness is also being
trustee or any other entity. AMCs shall adopt the full trail model created across the country and, in particular, in the rural
of commission in all schemes, without payment of any upfront areas, as regard the benefits of adopting electronic modes
commission or upfronting of any trail commission. of payment. The announcement made by the government
to provide discount on payments made through electronic
Also, SEBI, in its board meeting on 18 September 2018, modes is well received and it will lead to paper-less money in
announced changes in the TER of mutual funds. As costs go circulation. With the government’s consistent efforts to promote
down, the net return of funds will increase and it will make digital services through digital India, there lies an opportunity
mutual funds a more attractive option for investors. Also, due to for existing FinTech start-ups as well as potential investors.
the changes in the fee structure, the gap between the regular
and direct scheme would narrow further. The mutual fund Significant growth in capital investments, government policies
industry will continue with its growth momentum. and an entrepreneurial mindset make FinTech an emerging
industry. This interest is likely to witness a spike with continued
Source: www.amfiindia.com/www.moneycontrol.com participation from banks and regulatory bodies. With this
momentum, the transaction value for the Indian FinTech sector
is likely to touch INR 5,11,000 crore in 2020, growing at a five-
year CAGR of 22%, which is very impressive. The Financial
Inclusion Lab, an initiative of IIM-Ahmedabad, supported by
JPMorgan and some philanthropic investors, has selected 11
FinTech innovators for mentoring and upscaling their activities
and helping deepen financial penetration in the country.
Broking sector
In 2018, East India Securities Limited and ICICI Securities

Limited got listed on the National Stock Exchange and the
Bombay Stock Exchange. There were no major regulatory
changes in 2018 concerning the functioning of the
stockbrokers. Since January 2018, the Indian stock market has
been volatile due to the implementation of long-term capital
gain tax, oil prices and various political and global parameters.
The financial services sector has witnessed a year of

good, innovative and challenging times. Further, Ind
AS, the new set of accounting standards, have become
effective 01 April 2018, resulting in a new financial
reporting framework in case of some financial service
entities. On 11 October 2018, the Ministry of Corporate
Affairs published Division III of Schedule III, general
instructions for the preparation of financial statements
of an NBFC that is required to comply with the Indian
Accounting Standards. This could significantly impact
the manner in which the net worth and profitability are
currently determined. GST for the the financial services
sector is a major transformation as it has an impact on
the financial products, the IT system and processes and
marks a shift from centralised compliance to state-wise
compliance. 2018 was a mixed year for financial services,
with political upheavals and numerous regulatory
changes.
Khushroo Panthaky
Chartered Accountant
Mumbai
Manufacturing
Yearly trend
18,000 16,070 45
16,000 42 40
14,000 37 35
33
12,000 30
Volumes
10,000 25
$ mn
8,000 6,310 20
18
6,000 15
4,000 6 11 10
1,184 981 593
2,000 5
47
- -
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
M&A PE
Values $ mn Volumes
100%
90%
80% Capital Goods
70% Others
60%
Electronic Equipments
50%
40% Textile & Apparels
30% Industrial Materials
20%
10%
0%
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Volumes Values
Top M&A deals


Tata Steel Ltd Bhushan Steel Limited Industrial materials 5,515 73%
Hindalco Industries Ltd - Novelis Inc Aleris Corporation Capital goods 2,580 100%
Schneider Electric SA Larsen & Toubro Ltd - Electrical and Electronic equipment 2,121 100%
automation business
UltraTech Cement Ltd Century Textiles and Industries Ltd - Industrial materials 1,306 100%
Cement Business
UltraTech Cement Ltd Binani Cement Limited Industrial materials 1,068 100%
Top PE deals
Investor Investor Sub-sector $mn % stake

Fairfax India Holdings Corporation Sanmar Chemicals Group Industrial materials 194 13%
India Resurgence Fund Archean Chemical Industries Pvt Ltd Industrial materials 156 N.A.
Mithril Capital, Blume Ventures and angel Grey Orange Robotics Pvt Ltd Electronic equipment 140 N.A.
investors
Premji Invest Gold Plus Glass Industry Limited Industrial materials 58 N.A.
Expert speak
In 2018, deals in the manufacturing sector emerged with strong growth on the M&A front. However,
the overall value of deals executed fell from $7,291 mn in 2016 to $1,232 mn in 2017 primarily due
to transitional dynamics during the implementation of GST. The value of deals executed in 2018 was
$16,663 mn, indicating strong growth. Further, publicly available reports indicate that the manufacturing
sector currently accounts for c.16% of India’s GDP, which is expected to increase to c.25% by 2022. This
positive outlook of the manufacturing sector coupled with the government’s growth-oriented measures has
stimulated robust domestic deal activity during the year. A chronological segmentation of deals in the year,
indicates that while the first half of 2018 saw relatively greater traction in the sector, a holistic growth of the
sector is anticipated in the years going forward with impetus on developing industrial corridors and smart
cities. Further, IBC is anticipated to impute momentum to the sector’s performance, as witnessed in Tata
Steel’s acquisition of Bhushan Steel in May 2018.
Gautam Dayaldasani
Director
Retail and consumer
Yearly trend
6,000 5,306 40
36
5,000 29 35
28 29 30
25 25
Volumes
4,000 25
$ mn
3,000 20
2,000 15
651 617 10
1,000 305 335 587
5
- -
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
M&A PE
Values $ mn Volumes
100%
90%
80% Consumer Durables
70% Food Processing & Distribution
60% Consumer Services
50%
40% Others
30% FMCG
20%
Retail
10%
0%
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Volumes Values
Top M&A deals


Hindustan Unilever Ltd GlaxoSmithKline Consumer FMCG 4,500 100%
Healthcare Limited
Cadila Healthcare Ltd - Zydus Cadila Heinz India Private Limited FMCG 629 100%
Reliance Brands Ltd Rhea Retail Private Limited Retail 30 100%
Whirlpool of India Ltd Elica PB India Pvt Ltd Consumer durables 24 49%
Prataap Snacks Ltd Avadh Snacks Private Limited FMCG 21 80%
Top PE deals
These top five deals accounted for 31% of the total sector values

Sofina and Sequoia Capital India B9 Beverages Pvt Ltd - Bira 91 FMCG 50 N.A.
JZ International Godrej Consumer Products Ltd - FMCG 45 N.A.
Godrej Consumer Products UK Ltd
IIFL Special Opportunities Fund Bikaji Foods International Ltd FMCG 38 N.A.
Lighthouse Advisors Pvt Ltd Aqualite Industries Pvt Ltd Retail 35 N.A.
Oman India Joint Investment Fund Stanley Lifestyles Ltd Consumer durables 24 26%
Expert speak
Stabilisation of GST, increasing digital penetration, cashbacks and discounts, Ikea’s India entry, Walmart’s
acquisition of Flipkart at $16 bn, Swiggy’s valuation of $3.3 bn and the updated FDI policy were some of
the significant events in the retail industry in the year gone by. The INR 50 tn industry as of 2017 is pegged
to grow at a CAGR of 13.5% to reach INR 94 tn in 2022. This journey of growth is expected to witness
consolidation in both e-commerce and brick and mortar retail, conversion of unorganised market-share to
organised businesses and application of cutting-edge technology to enhance customer experience, create
differentials and gain competitiveness.
US-China trade wars present an opportunity not only for Indian businesses but also for global brands to
keenly look at venturing into the country. The regulators would also have their tasks cut out with the recent
updated FDI policy being the first of many expected to safeguard the interest of consumers, exchequer and
smaller businesses.
Rahul Kapur
Partner
E-commerce
Yearly trend
18,000 16,887 50
16,000 45
14,000 33 40
12,000 31
Volumes
10,000 24 30
$ mn
21
8,000 18 6,034 20
6,000
4,000 2,224 2,112 10
2,000 975 1,118
- -
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
M&A PE
Values $ mn Volumes
100%
90% Discovery Platform
80%
Others
70%
Fin Tech
60%
50% Retail
40% Food Tech
30% Travel, Transport & Logistics
20% Health Tech
10%
0%
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
Volumes Values
Top M&A deals


Walmart Inc Flipkart Online Services Pvt Ltd Retail 16,000 77%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc One97 Communications Ltd - Others 300 N.A.
Paytm
Alipay Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd Zomato Media Pvt Ltd FoodTech 210 N.A.
Ant Small and Micro Financial Services Group Zomato Media Pvt Ltd FoodTech 200 18%
Future Lifestyle Fashions Ltd Koovs Plc Retail 21 30%
Top PE deals

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Sands Capital, Innovative Retail Concepts Pvt Ltd - Retail 300 N.A.
International Finance Corp and Abraaj BigBasket.com
Capital
SoftBank Vision Fund and InfoEdge India Pvt PolicyBazaar - eTechAces Marketing FinTech 200 9%
Ltd and Consulting Pvt Ltd
TPG Growth, Stripes Group, Network 18, Accel Big Tree Entertainment Pvt Ltd - Discovery platforms 100 N.A.
Partners and SAIF Partners BookMyShow
TPG Capital, Goldman Sachs, Jungle Home Interior Designs E-Commerce Retail 70 N.A.
Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and Pvt Ltd - Livspace
Helion Ventures
Sailing Capital and China - Eurasian Olacabs.com - ANI Technologies Travel, transport and 50 1%
Economic Cooperation Fund Pvt Ltd logistics
Composite Capital ClearTax - Defmacro Software Pvt FinTech 50 N.A.
Ltd
Expert speak
The e-commerce sector in India turned out to be a favourite of The impact of the regulations, as well as online-to-offline
dealmakers in 2018. The acquisition of Flipkart by Walmart, integration strategies in the light of inconsistent profits, will
Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway picking up a stake in determine the course for the sector in 2019 and continue to
Paytm and, more recently, Swiggy raising 1 bn dollars is simply create more deal opportunities.
their endorsement of the massive opportunity that the country
offers. The sector has shown a steady upward trend in terms of While currently e-commerce businesses are built on models
both the volume and the value of deals across all sub-sectors. and offer solutions that were developed elsewhere in the world,
According to a Morgan Stanley report, the sector is expected the real opportunity in this sector lies in innovating for the
to grow to $200 bn by 2026. Driving the growth thus far, start- unique Indian peculiarities - to simplify and improve the life of
ups in the sector will continue to create value with innovative the public. It is only a matter of time before someone does that.
products, services and delivery models to cater to the next 500
mn Indians in tier 2 and 3 cities.
Kovid Chugh
On 26 December 2018, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Director
notified changes in FDI rules for the e-commerce sector that Grant Thornton India LLP
amongst other things prohibit in-house sellers, deep discounts
and exclusive product listings, to provide a level playing field for
smaller domestic players. Currently, Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is working on a new draft policy
(updating its August 2018 draft) for e-commerce
Sectors attracting
big ticket deals
Telecom
Yearly trend
30,000 25,016 10
9
25,000 8
7 9 19,260 7
20,000
Volumes
6 6
$ mn
15,000 5
4
10,000 3 3
5,000 2 2
1,917 2,055
1,040 - 1
- - -
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
M&A PE
Values $ mn Volumes
Expert speak
Since the entry of Reliance Jio in October 2016, the Indian • Consolidation has left all three players with a good amount
telecom industry has gone through a phase of unprecedented of spectrum to increase and improve their services for the
disruption. The significant hit on the ARPUs, revenues subscribers. However, this will require significant capex
and profitability, and erosion of market share, have been (capital expenditure) by the incumbents to make the
responsible for the spate of transactions witnessed in the spectrum 4G ready.
industry over the past couple of years. The transactions include • The increasing affordability of smartphones along with
the Vodafone-Idea deal and the merger of marginal players like the telecoms offering bundled services (ie combination of
Telenor, Tikona and Tata Teleservices with Bharti Airtel. Reliance voice and data services) at a low price has resulted in an
Communications, on the other hand, sold its operations exponential growth of data usage by Indian subscribers. The
to Reliance Jio. The telecom infra sector also witnessed operators are trying to benefit from this trend by providing
consolidation when Indus and Bharti Infratel merged to form content along with these bundled plans. For example, Bharti
the world’s second largest tower company. The consolidation Airtel, through Airtel Thanks, has started providing content
in the industry has now reduced the industry to a 3+1 player from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee5 and other such video and
market. music streaming sites on their network. This will enable the
telecoms to not only increase the ARPU on account of more
The disruption in the industry has also affected the valuation data usage but also reduce the customer churn. This trend
of telecom companies severely. The valuation for these telecom is also in line with the practices in international telecom
companies has more or less halved, which is evident from a markets where operators like Optus and Telstra in Australia
study of the P/BV ratios from December 2017 to December are offering more and more of content such as rights to
2018 for listed telecom players like Idea, Bharti Airtel and Bharti stream the English Premier League, sports and music and
Infratel. video streaming on their networks.
However, despite the short-term pain, the future of the telecom
industry looks promising because of the following factors: Manish Saxena
Partner
• There are three telecom operators to cover a market of Grant Thornton India LLP
1.3 bn customers where the mobile and data penetration is
less than two-third and one-third respectively.
Yearly deal trend

20,000 18,012 30
18,000 27
16,000 25
14,000 12,115 20
Volumes
12,000 18 18
$ mn
10,000 15
8,000 12
6,000 10
8
4,000 1,860 7 1,861 5
2,000 481 639
- -
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018
M&A PE
Values $ mn Volumes
Expert speak
• The Indian economy is growing at a high rate compared to other emerging economies. Energy and
natural resources will continue to play a significant role due to the demand for oil and gas, and power
and metal ores. A nation’s wealth and strategic interests are coupled with the access and control over
this segment. M&A and PE transactions have helped narrow the gap in domestic demand and also
encourage growth.
• While domestic M&A and PE investments were the flavour of 2018, specifically in the oil and gas and
CleanTech sectors, the focus, going forward, will be more on clean energy and technologies associated
with green energy since environment issues have gained importance. One can envisage a little more
action in cross-border transactions from India, with interest in oil and gas assets, including lithium ion
resources to fuel the economic growth, as well as progress towards green energy.
Sridhar V
Partner
Our Corporate Finance practice comprises 100 senior multi-
faceted specialists experienced in providing end-to-end
solutions
Abhay Anand Alok Verma Ashish Chhawchharia Chetan Khandhadia
Darshana Kadakia Dhanraj Bhagat Manish Saxena Prashant Mehra
Rahul Kapur Raja Lahiri Ravi Mehta Siddhartha Nigam
Sridhar R Sridhar V Sumeet Abrol Vidhya Shankar
Vikarth Kumar Vishesh C Chandiok Vrinda Mathur Aditya Khanna
Anirudh Gupta Gautam Dayaldasani Gaurav Chaubey Kovid chug
Jagmani Singh Meghna Bhansal Pankaj Chopda Rajan Shah
Santhosh C Shanthi Vijetha
Our corporate finance
practice has advised on key
deals in the past
Select transaction advisory credentials
2017 2017 2016 2015
Private equity investment
acquired acquired invested in
Plutus Financials
$115 mn $20 mn $44 mn $25 mn

Financial services Healthcare-focused Automotive Real estate
FMCG KPO
Exclusive advisors to Plutus Exclusive advisors Exclusive financial

to Value Edge advisora to Suprajit Advisors to Vatika
2014 2014 2014 2013
acquired acquired acquired

invested in
$18 mn Consumer Durables $72 mn $23 mn

$40 mn
Logistics Health care
Media
Exclusive advisors to Livpure Advisors to Transpole Exclusive advisors to Inox Advisors to Sutures
2017 2017 2017 2017
India Life Science Fund II Tata Capital Healthcare Fund

Leveraged Acquisition Private equity investment
acquired majority stake in Private equity Investment
buyout of financing by
Teutech Integrated asset

Advisors to Harvest Gold management
Undisclosed Exclusive advisors to Hi-Tech Exclusive advisors to Enaltec Exclusive advisors to Konverge
FMCG $45 mn $14 mn $3 mn
Manufacturing Pharma Pharma
2017 2017 2017 2017
Acquisition of Acquisition of
Exclusive Advisors to Saboo Exclusive advisors to Cinepolis Acquisition of Plus Paper Acquisition of Shiva Cement
Coatings Undisclosed Foodpac Ltd Ltd
$13 mn Media and entertainment Financial due diligence Financial due diligence
Chemicals $16 mn $47 mn
2017 2017 2017 2017
Cp India Senior housing LLC
PE investment in Medwell PE investment in Serene Senior Fundraising Acquisition

Ventures Private Ltd Care Private Ltd Financial due diligence Financial due diligence
Undisclosed Financial due diligence Undisclosed Undisclosed
Undisclosed
2018 2018 2018 2018
Strategic
acquisition of City
Cancer Centre
Strategic acquisition of Strategic acquisition of Belstar Strategic disposal
Sangamitra Hospital Investment and Finance Private Undisclosed Undisclosed
Undisclosed Limited
Undisclosed
2018 2018 2018 2018
City cancer centre Strategic acquisition

Strategic acquisition Investment in I Nurture
Undisclosed $4.2 mn Private equity
investment $4.9 mn
2018
Sell side advisors to Currents

Retail
Undisclosed
About Grant Thornton
in India
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Acknowledgements
Author For media queries, please contact
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Editorial review Design
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Notes
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What are some of the major mergers and acquisitions that took place?

What are some of the major mergers and acquisitions that took place?

What factors drove the surge in M&A activities in 2018?

What factors drove the surge in M&A activities in 2018?

Reforms

Annual Dealtracker Consolidation

Providing you with M&A and Private Equity deal insights

14th Annual edition 2018

02 Industry 4.0: Transforming the manufacturing landscape

2018 was a record-breaking year for

Deal summary Volume Value ($mn)

While sectors such as telecom, e-commerce, energy,

Sell-out of Mumbai Mall

Stake sale in Zee Ruchi Soya sell-out

Ambani gas pipeline Potential cross-border

Radiant to merge with Stake sale in Jet

90% stake in Hotel

Due to delays in Due to restraints under Due to inability to

• IndusInd Bank Ltd - IL&FS

Tata Steel Ltd - Bhushan Steel

UPL Ltd - Arysta Lifescience

2017 values 2018 values 2017 volume 2018 volume

Bain Capital and its affiliate firms,

2017 values 2018 values 2017 volume 2018 volume

Indian companies raised $4.8 bn through IPO in 2018, 9.3

which itself is 21% more than the total funds raised in

funds worth $2.6 bn were raised, which is significantly lower than 28

considering concerns around political uncertainty at home

$35.7 bn $27.7 bn $43.2 bn $40.4 bn $90.2 bn

Quarterly M&A deal trend

50.0 46.0 180

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

and biotech (26%) resources (16%) resources (42%)

$12.3 bn $16.2 bn $13.9 bn $20.5 bn $20.5 bn

8.0 7.2 350

3.1 3.0 2.9 164 150

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Retail and consumer

Start-up Hospitality and Real estate

Top sectors based on deal values

323 deals 251 deals 283 deals

$16.2 bn $32.3 bn $51.7 bn

Quarterly domestic, merger and internal restructuring deal trend

2016 2017 2018

Manufacturing Telecom (74%) Telecom (36%)

Start-up (40%) Start-up (31%) Start-up (34%)

Aerospace Aerospace Infrastructure

Banking and Pharma, health-

Energy and Professional/busi-

Media and Media and

Retail and Retail and

90 deals 86 deals 100 deals

Quarterly Inbound deal trend

2016 2017 2018

Energy and natural E-commerce (29%) E-commerce (65%)

Start-up (18%) IT and ITeS (17%) IT and ITeS (20%)

Values Volumes Values Volumes

Banking and Banking and Energy and Pharma, health-

E-commerce Education Media and Retail and