Merger and Acquisition transactions, excluding group restructuring deals, more than halved in April this year to $427.55 million as compared to $1.13 billion in the same month last year.

Twenty M&A transactions were struck in April 2009 as compared to 42 deals in April 2008, Grant Thornton said in a statement.       

There were 13 domestic deals, both acquirer and target being Indian, with an announced value of $351.33 million and seven cross-border deals valuing at $76.22 million during the month.       

Four of the cross border deals were outbound deals, where Indian companies acquired business outside India, with a value of $31.78 million and three were inbound deals, where international companies or their subsidiaries acquired Indian business, with a total value of $44.44 million, it said.       

The total number of M&A deals during the first four months of 2009 now stands at 74 valued at $2.03 billion as against 174 deals amounting to $9.43 billion during the corresponding period last year.       

In 2008, 454 M&A deals were announced with a total value of $30.95 billion.

During April this year, there was one Group Merger & Restructuring announced between Network 18 Media and Investments and Capital 18 Media Advisors for an undisclosed amount, Grant Thornton said.       

The total number of Private Equity deals announced in April 2009 stood at 15 valuing at USD 493.94 million as against 32 deals amounting to $562.85 million in the same month last year.       

During the first four months of the current year, the total number of PE deals stands at 56 valued at $1.31 billion as against 149 deals amounting to $4.68 billion during the corresponding period in 2008.