South Asia
Tata buys majority stake in India's BigBasket
Tata Group has acquired a majority stake in India’s BigBasket, an online grocer backed significantly by Alibaba Group and several private equity investors. It has been valued previously at around $2 billion.
Pakistan’s Habib Bank backs digital SME lender
Habib Bank, the largest bank in Pakistan, has joined a $10.1 million Series A round for Finja, a leading local financial technology start-up and small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) lender.
Stride seeks $137m for second India venture debt fund
India venture debt provider Stride Ventures has launched its second fund with a target of INR10 billion ($137.5 million), with a greenshoe option that could see the corpus rise to INR18.7 billion.
Vision Fund leads Series C for India-founded Zeta
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led a $250 million round for Zeta, an Indian-founded and now US-headquartered banking software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider, at a valuation of $1.4 billion.
India's FarEye raises $100m Series E
US-based VCs TCV and Dragoneer Investment Group have led a $100 million Series E round for FarEye, an Indian logistics software-as-a-service platform focused on Western markets.
Paddy Sinha joins India government infrastructure fund
Paddy Sinha, formerly managing partner of Tata Opportunities Fund, has become executive director and CIO for private equity at India’s National Investment & Infrastructure Fund (NIIFL).
India's Pine Labs raises $285m
Pine Labs, an India-based payments start-up that recently expanded its Southeast Asia footprint through the acquisition of Malaysia’s Fave, has secured $285 million in new funding.
India's Moglix raises $120m Series E at $1b valuation
Indian B2B services player Moglix has raised a $120 million Series E round led by Falcon Edge Capital and Harvard Management Company at a valuation of $1 billion.
KKR invests $95m in India's Lenskart
KKR has invested $95 million in Indian eyewear retail leader Lenskart via a secondary transaction that facilitated partial exits of undisclosed size for TPG Growth and TR Capital.
James Murdoch launches Asia-focused SPAC
James Murdoch, son of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, has launched a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that will pursue deals in Southeast and South Asia, with a particular focus on India.
DFIs help Nepal impact fund to $40m first close
Development finance institutions (DFIs) featured prominently in a $40 million first close for the second impact fund from Nepal-focused Dolma Fund Management. The target is $75 million.
India retail: Bazaar bedrock
Traditional micro-retailers continue to dominate India’s consumer economy, thriving amid COVID-19, encroaching supermarkets, and the rise of e-commerce. So, why is investing in them so hard?
Carlyle makes $536m realization from India's SBI Life
The Carlyle Group has sold more than two-thirds of its remaining stake in India-listed life insurance company SBI Life for approximately INR39.4 billion ($536 million) via a bulk transaction.
India's Teachmint raises $16.5m Series A
Indian education technology provider Teachmint has raised a $16.5 million Series A round led by US-based specialist investor Learn Capital.
Blackstone appoints leadership for Asia PE business
The Blackstone Group has moved Amit Dixit and Ed Huang into leadership positions in its Asia private equity business as part of a round of promotions within the division globally.
GP profile: Samena Capital
Conservative yet contrarian, Samena Capital has carved its own path prioritizing patience, trust, and transparency. A younger generation of leadership is guiding entry into a new digital landscape
Asia technology: Anatomy of a rebound
Tech investment has been on a tear in Asia, with private equity joining venture capital at the party. While COVID-19 has contributed to these dynamics, the revival is rooted in deeper structural change
India food delivery player Zomato files for domestic IPO
Zomato, an India-based food services platform that raised more than $1.25 billion in private funding from the likes of Ant Group, Tiger Global Management, and Sequoia Capital India, is looking to raise up to INR82.5 billion ($1.11 billion) through a domestic...
India MSME services provider ElasticRun raises $75m
Prosus Ventures and Avataar Ventures have led a $75 million Series D round for ElasticRun, an Indian retail services provider for the micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) segment.
Warburg Pincus buys control of India's Parksons Packaging
Warburg Pincus has acquired a majority stake in India-based consumer goods packaging manufacturer Parksons Packaging, taking out positions held by Kedaara Capital, Olza Holdings, and IIFL Holdings.
ADV, Premji acquire India manufacturer
ADV Partners and Premji Invest have acquired a significant majority stake in Indian plastic molding company Micro Plastics Private (MPPL) for an undisclosed sum.
Q&A: B Capital’s Raj Ganguly
In the past few months, B Capital Group has closed a late-stage fund, entered China, and moved forward with a seed-stage vehicle. Co-founder Raj Ganguly explains the firm’s thinking
Blackstone to cement control of India's Mphasis
The Blackstone Group is set to lift its controlling position in India-listed IT services provider Mphasis to 75% as part of a deal worth up to $2.8 billion.
Tiger Global invests $25m in India crypto app
Tiger Global Management has invested $25 million in CoinSwitch Kuber, a cryptocurrency exchange for the Indian retail market that facilitates investments as small as INR100 ($1.33).