In June 2013, redbus.in, a bus ticketing website, was acquired by the Ibibo Group, a subsidiary of South Africa based internet and media firm Naspers Ltd, for USD 135 million. Soon after signing the deal, Phanindra Sama - CEO and co-founder of redBus, went for a holiday to London along with his parents. Sama remained incommunicado during the 10 day trip by not acquiring a local number and not accessing his emails. During Sama's absence, senior management team of Alok Goel and Satish Gidugu at redBus along with three mid-level managers submitted their resignation. Apart from employees of redBus, the Ibibo takeover team was also ‘foxed’ as desperate calls and emails to Sama elicited no response. This case examines the chaos created due to Sama's absence and helps in understanding the issues when a technology start up is acquired.
Article navigation
Case Study|
August 10 2016
The redBus in Saga: Managing the Start-up Acquisition Phase Available to Purchase
Amarpreet Singh Ghura;
Amarpreet Singh Ghura
Research Associate
Search for other works by this author on:
Abhishek
Abhishek
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Search for other works by this author on:
This case has been written on the basis of data available in public domain. The description of events is based on authors’ interpretation of the events as they have been reported in different media outlets.
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Received:
June 19 2020
© 2016 by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
2016
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
Licensed re-use rights only. Cases of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, are prepared as a basis for class discussion. They are not designed to present illustrations of either correct or incorrect handling of administrative problems.
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad 1–8.
Article history
Received:
June 19 2020
Connected Content
See also
-
relatedCaseResource
Citation
Ghura AS, Abhishek (2016;), "The redBus in Saga: Managing the Start-up Acquisition Phase". Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/CASE.IIMA.2020.000020
Download citation file:
Email Alerts
Suggested Reading
The redBus in Saga: Managing the Start-up Acquisition Phase
Teaching Notes (August,2016)
Spending consulting dollars wisely: a guide for management teams
Human Resource Management International Digest (October,2007)
Courageous leadership – what defines it in the modern organisation
Strategic HR Review (February,2020)
Leadership and solidarity behaviour: Consensus in perception of employees within teams
Personnel Review (September,2006)
Disagreements on leadership styles between supervisors and employees are related to employees’ well-being and work team outcomes
International Journal of Workplace Health Management (August,2018)
Related Chapters
Pre-M&A “Leadership” Eight Years Later: How Has Behavioral Due Diligence Faired?
Advances in Mergers and Acquisitions
Acquisitions and Open Innovation – A Literature Review and Extension
Mergers and Acquisitions, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Panafrica: Meeting the SDGs Through a Circular Business Model
Creating a Sustainable Competitive Position: Ethical Challenges for International Firms
Recommended for you
These recommendations are informed by your reading behaviors and indicated interests.
