India Inc, along with other emerging markets Brazil, China and Russia, continues on its merger and acquisition overdrive with total M&A volume from BRIC nations surging past $100 billion mark in the current quarter.

India M&A volume has doubled to $49.1 billion via 893 deals in 2007 YTD, from $22.9 billion via 626 deals in the same period of 2006, with cross border transactions accounting for 56 per cent of total volume.

Large value deals
Despite 47 per cent decline in the global M&A market in third quarter of 2007 from the previous quarter, M&A volume from BRIC countries rose five per cent to $100.1 billion from $95.5 billion in the second quarter, according to international financial data provider Dealogic.

Besides, the number of large value deals also increased in the quarter, contrary to the perception that the US subprime crisis would adversely impact the deal volumes.

“Sixteen deals over $1 billion were announced in third quarter of 2007 for BRIC countries compared to  12 deals in first quarter of 2007,” Dealogic’s Kaushik Punjabi said. The year-to-date BRIC M&A activity has soared to $278.4 billion via 3,686 deals, up 52 per cent from $182.6 billion via 3,342 deals in the same period.