CHENNAI:
Investments
by private equity and venture capital firms fell by $1.2 billion in March 2024 to $1.8 billion across 64 deals, as against $3 billion in March 2023. The drop has bucked the trend of increase in investments by
PE-VC firms
in Jan-Feb this year as compared with the year-ago periods,
Venture Intelligence
data showed.
Singapore-based sovereign wealth fund
GIC
‘s $500-million funding for a JV with Sterlite Power Transmission topped the list of investments, followed by
Advent International
& Multiples’ $233-million bet on microlender Svatantra Microfin.
The number of deals between Jan and March this year stand at 205 – a decrease from 242 in the same period in 2023. Collective investments by PE-VC firms during Jan-March 2024 were at $6.3 billion – a decline of $500 million – over the year-ago period at $6.8 billion.
Venture Intelligence founder Arun Natarajan said the number of mega deals ($100 million and above) was just four in March 2024 compared to six in March last year.
“While sovereign wealth funds and pension funds from Singapore and Canada continue to dominate the large ticket PE deals, it is good to see that well-established large Indian PE firms such as Multiples PE and Kedaara Capital as well as experienced mid-market investors like Lighthouse Funds making newer bets during the month,” he told TOI.