What Is Merger – Combining Businesses For Strategic Growth

Key Takeaways

• A merger is about two companies coming together to combine into one company. When businesses merge, they combine their money, assets, skills, people, and market reach.
   
• A merger provides various benefits to your business, such as a stronger brand, financial strength, innovation, lower costs, and many more. These benefits can help your business improve its efficiency and profits.
   
• Your business might also face some challenges during a merger, such as customer loss, overestimated benefits, cultural differences, and many more. By estimating these risks in advance, you can prepare your business better. 

A merger happens when two or more companies join together to create a single and stronger organisation. The aim is usually to grow faster, reduce costs, and build a bigger market presence.

Suppose Firm P has a yearly revenue of ₹55 crore and Firm Q earns ₹35 crore annually. After merging, the new business can operate with a combined revenue of ₹90 crore. 

If they save ₹6 crore a year by removing duplicate expenses (such as separate marketing teams and extra office rentals), then their profit will rise without even increasing sales.

When businesses merge, they combine not only their money and assets but also their skills, people, and market reach. In this blog, we will learn more about mergers, their benefits, and how businesses use them as a growth strategy.

Key Benefits Of Mergers

Mergers create many advantages that can improve your business’s growth, efficiency, and profits. 

The following table highlights the key benefits of mergers:
 

By combining resources and talent, your business can achieve far more than it could alone.

For example, the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular in 2018 created one of the largest telecom companies in India. The deal aimed to cut costs through shared infrastructure, improve spectrum efficiency, and strengthen market presence.

Although the company faced challenges due to high debt and industry competition, the merger highlighted how scale and combined resources can provide strategic advantages in a capital-intensive sector.

Merger Process

Merging companies follow a structured approach to ensure smooth integration. The following table mentions the process of merger:
 

The above-mentioned process helps businesses avoid conflicts and ensures the merger delivers intended results.

Common Challenges In Mergers

Mergers can surely be rewarding, but they also bring some challenges. The following table reflects the common challenges related to mergers:
 

If you are well-aware of the above-mentioned risks beforehand, then it allows your business to prepare better and keep the merger on track.

Bonus Tip: In many mergers, the sellers often gain more than the buyers. Acquiring companies usually pay around 30% extra over the target’s value. This can hurt their own stock performance in the following years.

How Do Businesses Use It As A Growth Strategy?

Mergers can help different businesses in different ways. It can help your business grow without starting from scratch in new markets or product lines. 

The following table highlights the main points on how your business can use a merger as a growth strategy:
 

If your business uses mergers smartly, then it can gain resources, customers, and capabilities far quicker than growing alone. 

Previously mentioned Vodafone and Idea merger is a perfect example of how businesses use merger as a growth strategy as merger was aimed at expanding market share and strengthening operations against rivals like Jio and Airtel.

Final Thoughts

Mergers can be a powerful tool for your business growth when planned and executed well. They allow companies to combine strengths, cut costs, and reach new markets faster than growing alone.

However, the success of a merger depends on clear goals, proper valuation, cultural alignment, and smooth integration. Your business needs to stay realistic about expected benefits and prepare for challenges during the transition.

If you manage a merger carefully, then it can create lasting value for shareholders, employees, and customers alike.

FAQs

1. What is an example of a strategic merger?

A strategic merger example is Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) merging with Indo-Burma Petroleum (IBP) in 2002. The aim was to strengthen its oil marketing position and expand its distribution network.

2. What are the 5 types of mergers?

Horizontal, vertical, conglomerate, market extension, and product extension mergers.

3. Is a merger different from a partnership?

Yes, a partnership keeps businesses separate, while a merger creates one entity.

4. What is a takeover?

A takeover happens when one company buys controlling ownership of another company.

5. What is the recent merger and acquisition in India?

Air India’s merger with Vistara, announced by the Tata Group, is among the most notable recent deals. Other examples include Adani Group’s acquisition of NDTV, Zomato’s takeover of Blinkit, and the merger of IDFC FIRST Bank with IDFC Ltd.

6. What is the difference between a merger and an amalgamation?

A merger combines two companies into one. On the other hand, amalgamation blends multiple companies into a completely new entity.

7. What happens if a merger fails?

If a merger fails, businesses may face losses, reduced trust, and possible breakup of the deal.
 

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