South Asia
Telstra, Global Brain lead $19m round for India's Adnear
India location-based mobile advertising platform Adnear has raised a $19 million Series B round of funding from Telstra Ventures, the Australian telecom giant's corporate venture capital arm, and Japanese VC Global Brain.
Reliance PE becomes Fairwinds, targets $300m fund
Reliance Equity Advisors, which spun out from its parent Reliance ADAG in July, has re-branded as Fairwinds Private Equity and launched a new $300 million fund.
India's Snapdeal set for $650m funding round – report
Indian e-commerce business Snapdeal is expected to raise up to $650 million in a new round of funding lead by Japan's SoftBank Corporation with existing investors also participating.
India's Lightbox reaches $100m close on Fund II
Indian venture capital firm Lightbox Management has reached a INR6.1 billion ($100 million) close on its second fund.
Former Carlyle, TPG executives plan $500m India fund
Rajeev Gupta, formerly of The Carlyle Group, and Amol Jain, previously of TPG Capital, are launching a new PE fund that will focus on mid-market buyout opportunities in India.
PayU acquires VC-backed Indian payments start-up
Online payment solutions provider PayU India has acquired Cobboc, the VC-backed start-up behind mobile payments app Eashmart.
Warburg Pincus leads $30m round for India's CarTrade
Warburg Pincus has led a INR1.85 million ($30 million) investment in Indian auto classifieds site CarTrade. Existing investors Canaan Partners and Tiger Global also took part.
India payments firm FSS raises $57m from Premji Invest
Premji invest - the family office of Wipro Enterprises chairman Azim Premji - has invested INR3.5 billion ($57 million) India payments firm FSS.
Gaja reaches $130m first close on second India fund
Indian mid-market GP Gaja Capital has reached a $130 million first close on its second fund - Gaja Capital Fund II.
IDFC closes second India infrastructure fund at $900m
IDFC Alternatives has reached a final close on its second Indian core infrastructure fund of $900 million. LPs have also pledged significant additional capital for co-investment opportunities.
India solar developer gets $33m from Kotak Mahindra, EIB funds
Kotak Mahindra Group and European Investment Bank Group (EIB) have together committed INR2 billion ($32.7 million) to India Solar Energy Firm SolarArise India Projects.
SAIF Partners invest $13m in Indian jewelry chain
SAIF Partners has invested INR800 million ($13 million) in Senco Gold, an Indian jewelry retail chain.
Matrix India backs recruitment service GrownOut
Matrix Partners India has provided a first institutional round of funding for GrownOut, an online platform that helps companies identify potential recruits on the basis of referrals sourced via employees’ professional networks.
Family ties: Asian family offices as LPs
As wealth in Asia has grown, so has the number of family offices. As these investors become more institutionalized, what can they do for private equity and what can private equity do for them?
India's IPO pipeline
Indian test preparation services provider CL Educate filed for an IPO last week. Just over half of the offering will comprise shares held by the promoter and private equity backer Gaja Capital. It should come as welcome respite for the GP – which first...
Blackstone, Embassy to acquire Four Seasons Bangalore
The Blackstone Group and Indian developer Embassy Property Developments have acquired a 73% stake in Bangalore-based project comprising the Four Seasons Hotel and a luxury home development from Goldman Sachs.
IFC to invest $100m in India's Bilt Paper
International Finance Corporation (IFC) has agreed to acquire a 14.29% stake in Bilt Paper, a subsidiary of Indian paper manufacturer Ballarpur Industries, for $100 million.
Vista Equity acquires Indian-owned TIBCO in $4.3b take-private
Tech-focused GP Vista Equity Partners has agreed to buy TIBCO Software, the US-listed business software provider founded by Indian entrepreneur Vivek Ranadivé, in a deal worth $4.3 billion including debt.
IFC set to invest as Everstone targets $650m for Fund III
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed investing up to $50 million in India-focused GP Everstone Capital’s third fund, which has a target size of $650 million.
Matrix India backs online food-ordering platform LimeTray
Matrix Partners India has provided a Series A round of funding for Alchemy Web Private, operator of online food-ordering platform LimeTray. The size of the commitment was not disclosed.
Tiger Global commits $30m to India property portal
Tiger Global has invested $30 million in India-based property listings website CommonFloor.com, which is ultimately expected to pursue a public listing.
Tata Capital to buy minority stake in Standard Greases
India's Tata Capital is to acquire a 17.36% stake in Mumbai-based Standard Greases & Specialities for an undisclosed sum.
Canaan's Khanna to launch India venture debt fund
Canaan Partners Managing Director Rahul Khanna is to launch a INR3 billion ($49 million) debt fund aimed at supporting early-stage and established technology ventures in India.
Matrix invests in India's Red Monster
Matrix Partners India has invested an undisclosed sum in mobile game developer Red Monster Games.

