Asian Mergers and Acquisitions: Riding the Wave

Foreword

Asia can be a tricky place to do business. With its multitude of cultures and languages coupled with the fragmented nature of its markets and the diversity of its customers, the risks here are incredibly varied. The potential pitfalls are many, whether for a company intending to expand into Asia or an Asian company that is hungry for growth via acquisitions. Having run Asian businesses for several Western companies in the past decade, I have had direct experience with the challenges of operating in the region and, in particular, doing deals.

Yet it is hard to imagine a multinational corporation that would not have “expansion in Asia” somewhere near the top of its list of priorities. Indeed, after the significant downturn in most Western markets, Asia is the only sustainable growth story. Besides being the home of manufacturing for most of the world’s products, domestic demand in Asia has also seen a step increase as urbanization grows and more Asians get wealthier. This presents the perfect environment for game-changing acquisitions.

With all of these aspects in mind, this excellent and accessible guide to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Asia by Vikram Chakravarty and Chua Soon Ghee is timely, essential reading for anyone either within Asia considering growth through acquisition or outside Asia wondering how best to get in. With the distinction of being the first book on the subject over the past six to seven years, coinciding with a time when Asia has been on the rise, ...