Corporate restructuring is the process of significantly altering a company’s financial, operational, or ownership structure to improve performance, efficiency, and profitability. This can be a practical strategy for growth or a reactive measure to address financial distress, and includes actions like mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and changes in management or debt. The goal is to stabilize the business, increase shareholder value, and better align the company with its current market needs. The process of corporate restructuring is considered very important to eliminate the financial crisis, employee distress, rejuvenate supply chain, and enhance the company’s performance. The management of the concerned corporate entity facing the financial crunches hires a financial and legal expert for advisory and assistance in the negotiation and the transaction deals.
Corporate restructuring is an action taken by the corporate entity to modify its capital structure or its operations significantly. Generally, corporate restructuring happens when a corporate entity is experiencing significant problems and is in financial trouble. The 2018 merger of Vodaphone and Idea Cellular is an example of corporate restructuring. These two telecom companies created one of the largest operators in India to compete in a market with Reliance Jio. Bharti Airtel acquired Zain Africa through a leveraged buyout, financed primarily by borrowed funds, to expand its operations into the African continent.
Usually, the concerned organization looks at debt financing, operations reduction, any portion of the company to interested investors. In addition to this, the need for corporate restructuring arises due to the change in the ownership structure of a company. Such change in the ownership structure of the company might be due to the takeover, merger, adverse economic conditions, adverse changes in business such as buyouts, bankruptcy, lack of integration between the divisions, over-employed personnel, etc.
Common reasons for corporate restructuring:
Financial distress
Organizations go in for restructuring to address ongoing financial challenges and improve stability. The State Bank of India’s merger in 2017 with its associate banks such as State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Mysore, and State Bank of Hyderabad was to create a single large lender.
Underperformance
It means failing or defeat. To fix failing divisions or a lack of synergy between business units. Vodafone Idea faced crippling financial distress from declining revenues and massive statutory dues, known as Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) liabilities. To ensure business continuity, the company negotiated a debt-to-equity conversion with the government. This allowed the government to take a significant stake in the company in exchange for converting a portion of the dues into equity. This financial restructuring provided breathing room for the company by reducing its immediate debt burden. However, it led to a temporary dilution of existing shareholders’ stakes.
Market and economic conditions
To adapt to adverse economic situations or changing market demands. While Hero Honda dominated the Indian commuter bike segment, the market was beginning to see a rise in demand for premium motorcycles. Honda wanted to compete independently in this high-margin segment, and Hero sought to develop its own research and development (R&D) capabilities to enter the global market. The Munjal family bought out Honda’s 26% stake in the joint venture. The company was renamed Hero MotoCorp, signalling its independence. The split freed Hero to establish its own R&D centres and independently pursue its international expansion plans. This allowed the company to evolve its product portfolio to better address new market segments and global opportunities.
Strategic realignment
To align the company with new goals or a change in ownership structure. In 2018, U.S. retail giant Walmart acquired a 77% stake in the Indian e-commerce company Flipkart. For Walmart, the acquisition was a direct entry into the Indian e-commerce market, a crucial new goal for its global expansion strategy. The move positioned Walmart to compete directly with Amazon in India and leverage Flipkart’s established market presence and customer base. The acquisition initiated a period of corporate restructuring to integrate Flipkart’s supply chain, logistics, and technology platform with Walmart’s global operations. While Flipkart was allowed to operate largely independently, its back-end infrastructure and strategic direction were aligned with Walmart’s broader goals for the Indian market.
Improving efficiency
To streamline operations, cut costs, and optimize resource allocation. In 2025, Mahindra & Mahindra announced a plan to restructure its core business into three distinct units, though its automotive and tractor divisions would remain united. The proposed move is intended to improve operational efficiency, to enable more focused growth strategies, and enhance capital allocation by creating sharper business verticals. Likewise, Reliance Industry demerged its financial services arm to create Jio Financial Services in 2023. This strategic move was aimed at allowing each entity to focus on its core operations, thereby enhancing efficiency and shareholder value.
Management reshuffles
Changing leadership and reporting structures to improve efficiency and decision-making. In 2025 to create a more focused strategy for its Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) ambitions, Reliance restructured its retail business. Reliance moved its FMCG brands, including Campa and Independence, into a new, separate subsidiary named New Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (New RCPL). This allowed the FMCG business to operate independently with its own management team and attract dedicated investors. The move allowed the management team for the retail and FMCG businesses to focus on their respective areas, refining strategies and accelerating growth in both competitive markets. Though not a direct result of this operational move, it followed broader leadership restructuring announced in 2023, where Mukesh Ambani appointed his children. to the board and assigned them key leadership roles in the company’s different business verticals.