September 2011
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Ujjivan to raise Rs 100 Crore via Private Placement

Bangalore-based Ujjivan Financial Services, provider of a holistic range of services to poor working women in urban and semi-urban areas, plans to raise Rs 100 crore through fresh equity infusion by the end of this year. The existing investors may also participate in this round of funding. Last week, the company got approval from state-run Syndicate Bank for Rs 25 crore in funding this month. The private equity investors in the company include Unitus Equity Fund, Sequoia Capital, Lok Capital, Bellwether Microfinance Fund, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, A.W.Holdings, Elevar Equity, India Financial Inclusion Fund and SIDBI. […]

Varkey Group to acquire additional 20 per cent stake in Everonn

Dubai-based Varkey Group says it would acquire a further 20 per cent stake in India's Everonn Education through an open offer. The company says it would buy about 44.8 million additional shares at Rs528 per share, or Rs237 crore, the company said in a public announcement today. The group, on Tuesday, acquired 12 per cent (26.18 lakh) equity shares through its education arm Gems Education in the Chennai-based education company, through a preferential allotment, for Rs138 crore. […]

Pragati India to raise Rs 225 cr in next 6 months

Venture capital fund Pragati India is looking to raise around Rs 225 crore (USD 50 million) in the next six months, a top company official said. “We have already closed USD 50 million as the initial corpus of the fund and will raise another USD 50 million in the next six months,” Pragati India Fund Managing Director Narayanan Shadagopan told PTI here. This is the first fund from the venture capital firm that focuses on investment in small and medium sector enterprises (SME). “We have not invested in any company so far but are in the process of selecting projects for taking exposure,” he said. […]

Vodafone’s 5% stake buy in India JV gets govt nod

The plea of UKbased telecom operator Vodafone to buy 5.48% stake in the joint venture – Vodafone-Essar – from two Mauritius-based entities has been approved, the government said. “Since the transaction is between non-resident (firms) to non-resident, there is no foreign equity inflow,” the finance ministry said in a statement. The transaction is for transfer of shares of Vodafone Essar from Mauritius-based Essar Communications and Essar Com Ltd to Euro Pacific Securities – an indirect Mauritius-based subsidiary of Vodafone International Holdings BV. The transaction is worth Rs 2,700 crore. The FIPB cleared the transaction based on information provided by the company and inputs from a committee headed by a senior government official, the statement said. […]

Blackstone, Carlyle in joint bid for Reliance Infratel

Private equity giants Blackstone and Carlyle Group have jointly expressed interest to bid for Reliance Communications Ltd's tower business, said two sources briefed on the matter. The potential investors are holding initial due diligence that may lead to a bid offer valuing the enterprise at about $4 billion, they added. Reliance Communications (RCom) has put Reliance Infratel, which owns at least 50,000 towers, on the block looking at a valuation of around $5 billion. RCom is open to selling its entire 95% stake in its tower arm. Blackstone and Carlyle may face a competing bid from another private equity consortium consisting Apax Partners and Advent International, said one source, but the same could not be ascertained at the time of going to press. […]

Sidbi to unveil Rs 850 crore VC funds to support SMEs

Small Industries Development Bank of India, or Sidbi, plans to launch three venture capital funds worth 850 crore this fiscal to support small and medium enterprises. “The domestic market for SMEs is buoyant. The funds will support the growth story,” Sidbi managing director S Muhnot told newsmen in Kolkata. The SME sector grew 11% last year. The largest of the venture funds – the India Opportunity Fund – will be worth 500 crore and will be given to SMEs having a good track record. The second one will be worth 50 crore and will be floated to encourage and invest in small units planning to enter the capital market through the proposed SME exchanges. “We will act as a market maker for the proposed SME exchange. So, we will launch the Nominated Investors Liquidity Fund to this endeavour,” Muhnot said. […]

M&M to sell 8% stake in hospitality arm

Company will carry out an open market sale of shares in several tranches. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), India's largest sports utility vehicle manufacturer, on Thursday said its board has approved the sale of 8.09 per cent stake in its hospitality arm, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India (MHRIL). M&M, which currently holds 83.09 per cent of direct equity stake in MHRIL, a listed subsidiary, will carry out an open market sale of shares in several tranches that would be completed before June 2013. “The first tranche will happen in the near term. This move is primarily to comply with the statutory requirement for listed companies to reach a minimum threshold of 25 public shareholding,” said the Mumbai-based company. Uday Phadke, president, finance & legal, M&M, said: “We plan to divest a total of 8.09 per cent of MHRIL equity share capital in small lots over the course of the next 16 months through the market. In addition to meeting the statutory requirement this sale will significantly improve the float of MHRIL shares in the market.” […]

PE player Baring scouting for opportunity in pharma space

Baring Funds that began their investments in Indian entities in 1997, is looking for investment opportunities in the pharma space and could invest up to $ 75-100 million, said Amit Chander, head of investments (healthcare & pharma), Baring Private Equity Partners India. Currently, Baring Private Equity Partners India (BPEP India) has around $50 million invested from active funds in the healthcare space that are spread across 7-8 companies in the country, he added. Some recent investments in the sector include Sphaera (a startup engaged in discovery and development of pharmaceutical drugs) and Shilpa Medicare (manufacturer and exporter of high-quality bulk drugs). Chander, who previously worked in Accenture and Crisil, said that Baring would consider investing in pharma companies focussed on exports in lesser-developed markets, India-focussed businesses that are involved in branded generic products or special pharma businesses. […]

PE players like L Capital Asia, Franklin Templeton PE and Future Ventures to invest in luxury apparel segment

Rising consumer spend on luxury couture is leading to a sharp spike in private equity investment in the apparel sector. Investors have put in $98 million of risk capital into high-end luxury apparel firms this year, up from a meagre $4 million invested in the sector last year. More global fashion houses are seeking to partner with Indian firms. Waiting in the wings is Spanish luxe chain Massimo Dutti which is looking to sew up a joint venture with the Tata Group's retail firm Trent. L Capital, the PE arm of luxury brand LVMH, plans to showcase ethnic haute couture through a joint venture with Genesis Luxury to promote work of leading Indian designers such as Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rohit Bal and Tarun Tahiliani in addition to bringing international brands. […]

JPMorgan fund to invest $400 million in India's SKIL

A fund managed by JPMorgan Chase & Co has agreed to invest about $400 million in India's SKIL Infrastructure for a stake of just under 20 percent, two sources with direct knowledge of the development told Reuters. SKIL, which controls ship-builder Pipavav Defense and Offshore Engineering Ltd and has a 21 percent stake in Everonn Education, will use the funds to pare debt and fund its growth, one of the sources said. Part of the funds will be used by SKIL to repay loans it took to buy about 20 percent of Pipavav from construction firm Punj Lloyd last year, the source said, adding SKIL will also invest in defense and education. Pipavav, which is now 43 percent owned by SKIL, was previously known as Pipavav Shipyard. […]