Private Equity Biggie TA Associates To Open Office In India

The firm joins Apollo, Pi Capital, Candover, Englefield and Babcock & Brown who are also setting up India office.

TA Associates, one of the leading growth private equity and buyout firms, will be opening an office in India within the next six to nine months. The firm, as many buyout funds in India, will be making minority investments in the country. TA Associates was formed in 1968 and has invested in more than 380 companies now. The private equity firm is equipped with a $12 billion capital base and has offices in Boston, Menlo Park and London.

http://www.vccircle.com/500/news/private-equity-biggie-ta-associates-to-open-office-in-india

RAS Launches India-Focused Arb Fund Of Funds

although, this is old news, the more recent news is: (Sep 3) Despite turbulent markets in India, New York fund of hedge funds firm RAS Capital Management will increase its long exposure to the country by investing in a long-only equity focused manager at the end of September.

April 18, 2008
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New York- and Mumbai, India-based RAS Capital Management has launched an India-focused arbitrage-only fund of hedge funds.

The RAS India Absolute Return Fund, which debuted in January, is a carve-out of the firm’s flagship multi-strategy fund of funds, RAS India Fund-of Funds, which launched in November 2006. In its first three months of trading, co-founder Robert Rahbari said the new offering is approximately flat.

Q&A: Morgan Stanley’s Man In India

September 2, 2008

(Source: VC Circle) -- In May 2008, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners announced the closing of a $4 billion fund to invest in infrastructure assets globally. The firm has now opened an office in Mumbai and has moved New York-based Gautam Bhandari to India to head up the operations in the subcontinent, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.

Bhandari, who reports to Sadek Wahba, global head of Morgan Stanley Infrastructure in New York, and regionally, to John Myers, managing director in Hong Kong, views India as a major investment opportunity. The MSIP fund will look at the entire value chain of infrastructure in India including transportation, energy and utilities, telecom, and more. The MSIP fund may also make PIPE transactions and look at co-investing or partnering with other funds in India.

http://www.finalternatives.com/node/5356

Global Launches India-Focused Hedge Fund

August 27, 2008

Kuwait-based asset manager Global Investment House has recently launched an India-focused hedge fund.

According to the firm, the Mayur Hedge Fund is long/short absolute return growth-oriented fund with a net long bias. The fund, which is the firm’s first India-focused product, is targeting a 15-20% return.

“The Asian and in particular the Indian markets offer a compelling investment opportunity,” said Shailesh Dash, head of alternative investments at Global.

Dash believes that the investment case for India is powerful, especially given that the country is home to a quarter of the world’s population under the age of 25, has an emerging middle class, good corporate governance and an economy that doesn’t rely on foreign trade.

http://www.finalternatives.com/node/5334

U.S. Hedge Fund Invests In Indian Private Equity Firm

August 25, 2008

(Source: VC Circle) -- A former managing director of Citigroup Venture Capital International in India has reportedly snagged U.S.-based hedge fund Morgan Creek Capital as an anchor investor in his soon-to-be floated private equity fund.

Morgan Creek is said to be investing $100 million in Ajay Relan’s fund, independent sources told VC Circle.

Sources also said Relan has landed Amit Bhatiani, a senior New York-based hedge fund manager, as a partner in his fund. Relan, in an interview with VC Circle, confirmed the appointment of a senior partner, however, he declined to divulge the partner’s name or the anchor investor in the fund. Bhatiani has been a partner at Duma Capital, a New York-based hedge fund, and prior to that he was a portfolio manager at the Clinton Group.

http://www.finalternatives.com/node/5319

HSBC's Halbis to launch long/short India Alpha Fund

Halbis, the active asset management specialist of the HSBC Group, has announced plans to launch the India Alpha Fund, managed by its award-winning team of Indian equity specialists headed by Sanjiv Duggal, on April 2, 2007.....

http://www.hedgeweek.com/articles/detail.jsp?content_id=55780&livehome=true

Thomas Weisel Exits India Fund of Funds Biz

http://www.finalternatives.com/node/5044

(Source: VC Circle) -- U.S.-based asset management company Guggenheim Partners has acquired control of the India fund of funds business of Thomas Weisel Partners.

While the two buyout entities will jointly manage the existing fund—Thomas Weisel Partners India Opportunity Fund—Thomas Weisel Partners is exiting its India operations, save the existing fund.

The private equity fund is currently less than $100 million, and sources say it is likely the fund will be expanded by another $100 million. However, all the new products to be launched in the future will be fully controlled by Guggenheim......