Caste affiliation and M&A transactions in India

This study examines the impact of caste networks in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in India during the period 2000-2022. The study finds a strong association between the caste affiliation of the largest shareholders in acquirer and target companies in M&A transactions in India. Employing the event study methodology, the study finds that companies with dominant shareholders belonging to forward castes secure the highest incremental value among all the caste groups. The forward castes display weaker ties with shareholders from other social identities. Overall, our findings support the social identity, homophily, and in-group bias theories, which contend that people form and maintain social and economic connections with people who share their social identities. The M&A clusters in India are networked by caste identities and they try to overcome information asymmetry by relying on alternative channels such social identity. This research points to the need to complement existing markers of M&A like age, functional background, and professional experience of management with critical factors such as social identity like caste in decision-making and organizational outcomes.