IL&FS Investment Managers, a private equity arm of IL&FS Ltd, has acquired a 10% stake in The Mobile Store, an Essar group firm, for Rs100 crore, a senior executive from the retail chain said. The stake sale values Mobile Store, a mobile handsets and accessories retail chain, at Rs1,000 crore, added this person who did not want to be identified. A spokesperson for the Essar group confirmed the transaction but declined to elaborate any further. The chain, managed by Rewant Ruia, a scion of the Ruia family and son of Ravi Ruia, vice-chairman of the group, has been on an expansion spree.   more »

Mayfield India Fund and SIDBIVenture today announced a new investment in Fourcee Infrastructure Equipment Pvt. Ltd. (Fourcee). Under the terms of the investment, Mayfield India Fund and SIDBIVenture will invest Rs.50 crore in Fourcee to expand their tank terminals, add more uniquely designed containers and grow their infrastructure. This new investment reflects Mayfield India Fund's investment theme of adding value to growth stage companies in the consumer and infrastructure segment. The alliance comes at a time when the industry has shown consistent growth, even in these challenging economic times. Currently, Fourcee is the only company focused on providing end to end logistics solution for liquid cargo through road and railways using its own specialized designed containers. Mayfield India's and SIDBIVenture's investment provides an exciting opportunity for Fourcee to expand its footprint and offer unique logistic solutions in India   more »

Leading foreign institutional investor Fidelity International is said to have sold around 2% stake in MCX to Passport India, an existing shareholder in the commodity bourse, according to market sources. The sale is in keeping with government norms that restrict a single foreign investor’s shareholding in a commodity bourse to 5% by March 31, 2010. With this, Fidelity’s stake will come down to 7% while Passport India’s shareholding in MCX will rise to 5%. No confirmation was available on the pricing of the transaction. Fidelity had picked up around 9% in MCX in 2006 for $49 million, valuing the exchange at around $540 million. When NYSE picked up a 5% stake in MCX in 2008, the exchange was valued at $1.1 billion. When contacted, officials from MCX and Fidelity declined to confirm the development.   more »

Manipal Universal Learning, the corporate education arm of the education-cum-healthcare Manipal Group, said on Tuesday it had raised Rs200-crore ($43.3 million) in private equity investment from PremjiInvest. PremjiInvest is a $1-billion fund promoted by Wipro Group chairman Azim Premji. According to Manipal Universal CEO Anand Sudarshan PremjiInvest, together with several other PE investors in Manipal Universal-Capital International and IDFC Private Equity would hold a hold a significant minority stake in the firm. The firm had received substantial investments to the tune of $40 million and $30 million from Capital International and IDFC around three years ago. Sudarshan said the funds would go towards building a new campus in Dubai, expansion of the Antigua campus, the dental stream in Malaysia and upgradation of technology for next-generation virtual and distance-learning education system, EduNxt for which capital outlays of around $82-$90 million would be required.   more »

Baring Private Equity Partners (India) is the front-runner to buy about 15% stake in Mumbai-based drugmaker Famy Care for around $40 million, or Rs 185 crore, a person familiar with the matter said. Privately-held Famy Care is one of the world’s largest maker of oral contraceptives pills. “If the talks fructify, the deal could be closed within a month or two,” the person, a pharma industry executive asking not to be named, said. The deal will value Famy Care at Rs 1,230 crore, making it one of the biggest private equity investments in the pharma sector in recent times. When contacted by ET, Sanjeev Taparia, MD at Famy Care, said: “We are in discussions with potential PE funds. But we can’t share names as nothing has been finalised.” He also declined to share the financial details about the company. Mr Taparia leads the company owned by Taparia family.   more »

Actis, an emerging markets private equity specialist, announced today that it has invested US$50 million (INR 235 crores) to acquire a substantial minority stake in Integreon, the leading global provider of legal support, research and business services to law firms, financial institutions and corporations. As part of this investment, JM Trivedi, Actis's Head of South Asia, and Gautham Radhakrishnan, a Director at Actis, will join Integreon's board of directors. Actis has invested alongside Ayala Corporation, the oldest and one of the leading conglomerates in the Philippines, which initially invested in Integreon in 2006 through LiveIt Investments, its business process outsourcing holding company. Ayala Corporation will continue to hold a majority stake in Integreon. Today, professionals at leading organisations including 11 of the top 50 global brands such as Microsoft; 32 of the AmLaw 50 such as Clifford Chance and DLA Piper US LLP; and 9 of the top 10 global investment banks focus on their "highest and best use" by trusting high-quality research, document, and legal solutions from Integreon. Integreon revenues have grown at an 83 per cent CAGR since 2006 to an $89 million revenue run rate in Q4 2009.   more »

DAR Capital, promoted by non-resident Indian Arun Rangachari, will pick up 26% stake in Valuable Media Ltd (VML) for Rs 100 crore. The DAR Capital Group has already identified the media and entertainment domain as a destination for big investments. It has committed over Rs 650 crore investments on movies and cricket. VML, the Mumbai-based promoters of UFO Moviez, has sought approval of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to raise Rs 100 crore from DAR Capital. Valuable Media will use the fund to launch—small mall technology (SMT)—a satellite-based digital distribution of films in smaller towns and also to push its consumer box business in India and other markets.   more »

Quadrangle Capital Partners and a consortium of investors have acquired stakes in Tower Vision India. The equity capital and some additional debt financing will offer the wireless towers manager $300 million to boost its portfolio of transmission sites. The New York-based private equity fund, which has $3 billion in assets under management, will assume a “significant minority” share of Tower Vision. The fund’s investments in the region will concentrate on telecommunications, media and technology in India, China and Australia.   more »

Alok Industries, a Mumbai-based vertically integrated textile player, has roped in Asia Bridge as a private equity player for its retail subsidiary – Alok H&A. The deal size is of Rs 45 crore. Alok H&A is engaged in the cash and carry business of apparels and home textiles across the country with its 150 stores at present. The company has drawn up a massive expansion plan with a view to achieve a pan-India footprint and is eyeing 1,000 stores in the next three years. The company, by the end of the current financial year, will take the number of stores to 250. And in FY11, the textile major is aiming to add another 250.   more »

IL&FS Education and Technology Services Ltd., the education unit of the IL&FS Group, said Wednesday it has raised INR1.72 billion from private equity company India Equity Partners. The funding will help IL&FS Education and Technology Services achieve its medium-term growth targets, Hari Sankaran, managing director of IL&FS, said in a statement, without elaborating.   more »