PE investments double in Q3’ 10 to over $2-B; dip Q-on-Q

Private Equity firms invested about US$2,047 million across 88 deals during the quarter ended September 2010, according to a study by Venture Intelligence, a research service focused on Private Equity and M&A transaction activity in India. The latest numbers take the total PE investments in 2010 to $6,566 million (across 231 deals) more than twice the $2,502 million invested (across 179 deals) during the same period in 2009. (Note: These numbers do not include PE investments in Real Estate.)

The amount invested in Q3 ’10 was little over twice that during the same period last year (which witnessed $976 million being invested across 65 deals), but lower compared to the immediate previous quarter ($2,364 million across 71 deals). “For the first time since Q1’09, the amount invested by PE firms has dipped when compared to the immediate previous quarter,” noted Mr. Arun Natarajan, MD & CEO of Venture Intelligence. “Given the rapidly rising public markets and strong prospects for IPOs, this is probably a better time for PE investors to focus on exits rather than place big investment bets” he added.

The largest investment during Q3 ’10 was SBI-Macquarie’s $304 million investment into Viom Networks. Other top investments reported during Q3 ’10 included Blackstone’s $300 million investment into Moser Baer Projects followed by Actis’ $100 million investment in IDFC.

The IT & ITES industry registered 24 deals worth $126 million during Q3 ’10, followed by BSFI (13 deals worth $312 million) and Energy (9 deals worth $522 million). Venture Capital and Late Stage investments accounted for 31 and 28 deals each during Q3 ’10.Late Stage deals accounted for 56% of the investments in value terms.

Private Equity firms obtained exit routes for their investments in 27 Indian companies during

Q3 ’10, including two via IPOs (that of Gujarat Pipavav Port and MakeMytrip.com). This compares to 23 exits (including 2 IPOs) in the same period in 2009 as well as in the immediate previous quarter (including 5 IPOs). The largest exits via M&A in Q3’10 included JP Morgan,IDFC PE’s exit from L&T-IDPL (via buyback by L&T) and Kubera Partners’ sale of its stake in Venture Infotek (to European IT Services firm Atos Origin). The largest exit via public market sale was ChrysCapital’s exit of its stake in Bajaj Auto Finance.