Contrary to popular perception, the past five months — for all the turbulence in the stock market and subsequent valuation crisis — have been the best times for private equity in India. The private equity sphere between January and May witnessed as many as 151 deals aggregating to $5.5 billion (or Rs 23,100 crore) as compared to 140 deals totalling $4 billion (or Rs 16,400) during the same period last year, according to PE research firm Venture Intelligence. Among sectors, infrastructure topped the ‘in-demand’ chart with 26 deals aggregating to $2,504 million (or Rs 10,517 crore) being reported during the period under consideration. The rise in number of deals is attributed to availability of assets at lesser prices, lowering valuation expectations of promoters and rising costs of borrowing.   more »