Worldline has agreed to sell its Indian payment activities to BillDesk for an estimated equity value of EUR 60 million at closing.
Following this announcement, Worldline has announced the proposed sale of its Indian payment operations to BillDesk, an India-based payments company, for an estimated equity value of approximately EUR 60 million at closing. The enterprise value of the transaction stands at approximately EUR 37 million. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary regulatory and legal processes.
Alongside the divestiture, the two companies will enter into a long-term technology and software agreement under which BillDesk will continue to use Worldline's payment software. The arrangement is intended to maintain operational continuity for the divested activities while preserving a commercial relationship between the two groups in the Indian market.
Part of a broader strategic repositioning
According to the official press release, the transaction is one of several disposals Worldline has announced as part of its North Star transformation plan, which aims to concentrate the group's activities on core payment services in Europe. Previous disposals include MeTS, Worldline North America, Cetrel, PaymentIQ, and now the Indian operations. Combined net cash proceeds from all announced disposals are estimated at between EUR 540 million and EUR 590 million, with receipts expected during 2026.
The Indian perimeter being divested generated approximately EUR 90 million in annual revenue and approximately EUR 8 million in adjusted EBITDA, with a free cash flow impact described as neutral on a full-year basis.
Despite exiting its local payment operations in India, Worldline has stated it will maintain a presence in the country through its Global Competence Centres, which currently support Western European operations. The group intends to develop these centres into innovation hubs focused on payment technology, automation, and the application of generative and agentic AI.
For BillDesk, the acquisition adds scale and operational infrastructure in a domestic market that has seen significant growth in digital payments volumes in recent years, driven in part by the expansion of real-time payment infrastructure and rising smartphone penetration. By acquiring Worldline's local activities, BillDesk also secures access to the accompanying technology licensing arrangement, which underpins continued use of Worldline's software stack.
BNP Paribas acted as sole financial adviser to Worldline on the transaction, with Hogan Lovells providing international legal counsel and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas advising on Indian law.
