The Merger and Acquisition (M&A) activity rebounded strongly during the Q2 2026 quarter, recording 24 deals worth USD 1.5 billion driven by a few large transactions, led by Meta Platforms’ investment in CRED, Grant Thornton Bharat said in its Financial Services Dealtracker report.
The recovery was driven by a few large transactions, led by Meta Platforms’ USD 900 million investment in CRED and Prudential plc’s USD 368 million acquisition of Bharti AXA Life Insurance, which together contributed the majority of disclosed M&A value during the quarter, it said.
As per the dealtracker, the M&A activity rebounded strongly during the quarter, recording 24 deals worth USD 1.5 billion, with deal volumes rising 50% and values increasing nearly fivefold over the previous quarter.
Fintech remained the most active segment with 31 deals worth USD 1.4 billion, led by in CRED and KreditBee’s USD 280 million fundraise.
Meta announced it will invest nearly $900 million (around Rs 8,550 crore) in fintech startup Cred, and as part of the investment, Cred’s founder, Kunal Shah, will take over as global CEO of WhatsApp.
The round, structured through a mix of primary and secondary share purchases, will value the Kunal Shah-founded company at Rs 43,239 crore, or about $4.5 billion, post-money.
BFSI sector records 65 deals worth USD 3.2 billion:
As per the Grant Thornton Bharat Dealtracker, India’s BFSI sector recorded 65 deals worth USD 3.2 billion in Q2 2026, with overall deal values increasing 58% quarter-on-quarter while deal volumes remained largely stable.
The increase in value was primarily driven by a single large-ticket transaction, with the sector accounting for 11% of overall deal volumes and 8% of total deal values during the quarter. Excluding public market activity, the sector recorded 62 M&A and PE/VC transactions worth USD 2.8 billion, reflecting a value-led recovery driven by strategic M&A transactions despite continued macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties.
Banking & NBFCs recorded 12 deals worth USD 287 million, as investors remained focused on smaller-ticket transactions amid a cautious investment environment.