Improving market sentiments post parliamentary elections seem to have begun showing in the private equity investment space. Private equity investments in June 2009 increased 74% in value terms and 20% in number of deals as compared with May 2009 figures, according to monthly private equity update by Anand Rathi Investment Banking Research (ARIBR). According to data compiled by ARIBR analysts Arnab Banerjee and Sachin Mehta, overall, investments worth $662.7 million were made across 24 deals - as against $332.7 million and 20 deals in May 2009.   more »

UTI Ventures, the venture capital (VC) arm of UTI Asset Management Company (AMC), is raising Rs 15 to Rs 20 billion fund and hopes to complete the process by December, reports Business Standard. This fund would focus on deals in the range of Rs 500-750 million in areas such as infrastructure services, domestic consumption and outsourcing. UTI Ventures is looking at domestic institutional investors (DIIs) — including insurance companies, mainly Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), and banks — and foreign investors such as sovereign wealth funds, endowment funds and private pension funds.   more »