New Delhi: Global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity is showing signs of recovery after a slow start to the year, with deal value rising 10 per cent to USD 1.9 trillion through the first nine months of 2025, according to the 22nd Annual Global M&A Report released by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

 

The report notes that the rebound is being led by a small group of experienced dealmakers making selective and strategic moves, rather than a broad wave of optimism. Despite ongoing market uncertainty, BCG says these investors are navigating volatility with discipline and long-term planning.

 

Jens Kengelbach, BCG’s global head of M&A and a co-author of the report, said, “The global M&A recovery is real but uneven, with markedly different trajectories across regions and sectors. We’re seeing an increase in deal preparation in the second half of 2025, and early signs that IPO pipelines are starting to move. Momentum is building.”

 

The report highlights that North America led all regions, accounting for 62 per cent of global M&A activity, with deal value in the Americas rising 26 per cent to USD 1.3 trillion. Europe recorded a mixed performance, down 5 per cent overall, while Asia-Pacific fell 19 per cent to a ten-year low of USD 284 billion. Within Asia, Singapore and mainland China showed growth, but India’s deal value slipped 20 per cent, reflecting broader regional slowdowns.

 

Dhruv Shah, Managing Director and Partner at BCG, said India’s M&A landscape “continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and strategic depth.” He added, “While global deal value saw a modest rebound in 2025, India maintained above-average transaction volumes since the post-pandemic recovery, underscoring investors’ sustained confidence in the country’s growth fundamentals.”

 

Across sectors, industrials rose 77 per cent versus last year, led by transportation and infrastructure transactions. Technology, media, and telecommunications (10 per cent), energy (20 per cent), and health care (20 per cent) also posted gains. Conversely, the materials (-16 per cent) and consumer (-17 per cent) sectors saw substantial declines in deal value.

 

Large-scale transactions are returning, with 27 megadeals (valued over USD 10 billion) announced so far in 2025, up from 21 last year.

 

The report further notes that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a key tool for dealmakers, improving due diligence and execution speed. Meanwhile, cross-border M&A has dropped to just 30 per cent of total deal value, down from about 50 per cent in 2007.

 

Despite challenges, BCG finds that companies with more experience in dealmaking consistently outperform others. “Uncertainty is often seen as the enemy of dealmaking, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Daniel Friedman, BCG’s global leader of transactions and integrations. “Savvy dealmakers stay focused on the long game, making bold, measured, and disciplined bets that can unlock value even when markets are at their most volatile.”