Spinny owners acquire Haymarket SAC in India push
Value Drive Technologies takes over Haymarket’s Indian automotive brands, including Autocar India, in a cash-and-equity deal announced on 24 March 2025, boosting its market presence.
26 Mar 2025 | 2130 Views | By Noel D'Cunha
Value Drive Technologies, the parent company of Spinny.com, one of India’s leading online platforms for used car sales, has acquired Haymarket SAC, a joint venture between UK-based Haymarket Media Group and the Sorabjee family, led by Hormazd and Naheed Sorabjee.
The deal, announced on 24 March 2025, transfers ownership of Haymarket SAC’s automotive brands in India - Autocar India, Autocar Professional, and What Car? India - to Value Drive.
Hormazd Sorabjee will remain in charge of these titles, ensuring continuity, while Haymarket holds a stake in Value Drive through a cash-and-equity deal.
Haymarket Media India, led by its new country head, Ashish Bhushan, will focus on its other titles, including PrintWeek, WhatPackaging?, Campaign India, and Stuff India.
“Having long been a client and admirer of Haymarket India’s automotive brands, I am thrilled to bring them into the Spinny family,” said Niraj Singh, founder and CEO at Spinny, noting the move strengthens their position in India’s automotive market.
The acquisition aligns with Spinny’s growth strategy, while Haymarket shifts attention to its non-automotive portfolio in India. “This strategic realignment signals an exciting new chapter for our operations in India,” said Kevin Costello, global chief executive at Haymarket Media Group. He added, “We couldn’t have found a better home for our automotive brands than in Spinny,” expressing confidence in their future under Singh’s leadership and Hormazd’s continued role.
The deal marks the end of a 25-year partnership between Haymarket and the Sorabjees. “I am immensely proud of the successful business we have built together with Haymarket,” said Sorabjee, managing director at Haymarket SAC. He called it “an inflection point” for the automotive brands under Value Drive’s ownership.
Hormazd and Naheed will stay on as non-executive directors on Haymarket Media India’s board, maintaining their connection. Haymarket’s UK automotive titles, such as What Car? and Autocar, remain unaffected.