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Big hitter? Indias Nimbus aims to score highly in cricket broadcast rights |
INDIA IS EXPERIENCING a second wave of interest in private equity the first was in the late 1990s and activity in the sector should continue to gather strength. In the third quarter of 2005 several high-profile deals were agreed. Newbridge Capital invested $100 million in the holding company of the Sriram Group, a dominant player in truck financing. Local firm ICICI Ventures paid $59.8 million to buy out the refractory business of Associated Cement Companies. Media company Nimbus Communications and drug research company Perlecan Pharma each raised $45 million from private-equity investors.
These deals and various smaller ones helped swell the quarterly total of investments to $528 million, the highest ever for private equity in India.
Until recently deal flow was sedate, according to local research firm Venture Intelligence. Eight companies...