IL&FS PE arm to raise $900 mn this year; may team with Trikona Capital

IL&FS private equity arm IL&FS Investment Managers (IIML) will raise funds worth $900 mn in 2007 for investments in infrastructure, real estate and hospitality.

In addition to raising a $400 mn-proprietary fund, it’s also in talks with the UK-based PE fund Trikona Capital to raise another $500 mn spread over two sector specific funds. Apart from this, IIML will also set up a $1 bn PE fund with Abu Dhabi Investment Corporation for investments in infrastructure. IIML and Trikona Capital already have two sector-specific PE funds for investments in real estate and hospitality. The corpus of these funds is $100 mn each. IIML’s proposed PE funds with Trikona Capital will also be for real estate and hospitality. The corpus of both the sector-specific funds is expected to be $250 mn each.

The proprietary fund that will be raised by IIML will invest only in infrastructure projects in India. The proposed fund would be raised by the company over the next three to four months.

IIML currently manages assets worth $1 bn in several funds and also manages a $56-mn proprietary fund of IL&FS. IIML has deployed $10 mn of its $100 mn PE fund set up jointly with Trikona Capital for investments in infrastructure and real estate. In October last year, the fund invested $9 mn in IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited for a 2.5% stake. The second fund, jointly promoted by IIML and Trikona Capital, is the hospitality fund which has deployed $60 mn of its $100 mn. The $1 bn PE fund with ADIC will make investments in infrastructure assets in West Asia and North Africa. Both ADIC and IL&FS will commit around $50 mn to the new fund.

Read The Economic Times article.
Related Post: IL&FS to float $1 bn PE fund with Abu Dhabi Investment Company

Trinity to raise additional funds of $ 1bn for Indian realty

UK-based real estate fund Trinity Plc is planning to raise fresh funds. India-focused real estate fund Trikona Capital is the asset management company of Trinity promoted by two US-based entrepreneurs Rakshid Chugh and Aashish Kalra. This brings Trinity’s total fundraising to $1 bn this year. Trinity earlier had raised about $500 mn at London Stock Exchange’s AIM market last year. In addition to a secondary listing at the AIM market, it will also raise another private equity fund.

The secondary listing at the AIM market is expected to garner nearly $500 mn and the remaining will be raised through a PE fund. Trikona has declined to confirm the break-up of how the funds would be raised. The additional funding will be ploughed into the real estate sector.

Trikona is already in talks with several foreign investors to raise this additional funding. It has till now deployed funds worth $250 mn in the real estate sector and has committed funds worth $1 bn. Trikona has recently made investments in IL&FS Transportation Networks. It has also invested $20 mn to pick a 16% stake in a project owned by Kapstone Constructions. In October last year, Trikona entered into a JV with real estate developer Lokhandwala Builders for a residential project in Mumbai at an estimated cost of $103.4 mn. The fund picked a 49% stake in the venture for $21.5 mn.

Read The Economic Times article.

Goldman Sachs to pick up 5% stake in ITNL for Rs. 90 crores

Goldman Sachs is about to pick a 5% equity stake in IL&FS Transportation Networks (ITNL) for around Rs. 90 crores. ITNL is a vehicle promoted by IL&FS to spearhead its initiative in transportation infrastructure development.

This will be the second private placement in ITNL in the last three months. In October 2006, US-based private equity fund Trikona Capital bought 2.5% stake in the company for around Rs. 40 crores. Trikona also announced a $100-mn partnership with parent company IL&FS for investments in real estate and infrastructure.

ITNL is the promoter of the Noida toll road project and owns 22.6% equity in Noida Toll Bridge Company. Noida Toll Bridge is listed on the AIM market in London Stock Exchange. ITNL currently has a portfolio of 10-11 road sub-sector projects, which are in the development phase and a pipeline of such projects in the planning phase. The company, which has got road projects in Ahmedabad, Rajasthan, has recently won an annuity contract in Chhattisgarh. Incorporated in 2000, IL&FS has domiciled most of its transport sector investments and resources in ITNL for its surface transportation projects. The company also intends to participate in green field projects and provide advisory services. Already, the holdings of IL&FS and existing financial investors in the IL&FS sponsored projects are being transferred to ITNL.

Last week, Goldman Sachs bought a 5% stake in the National Stock Exchange. IL&FS was one of the deal makers in the transaction.

Read The Economic Times article.

Trikona Capital to invest $18 mn in Fortis Healthcare

Trikona Capital is investing to the tune of $18 mn in Fortis Healthcare, a company promoted by the founders of Ranbaxy Laboratories. Earlier, George Soros’ Soros Private Equity Partners and Blue Ridge Capital were believed to have invested $50 mn in Fortis to buy a 10% stake in the company. Fortis has filed for an IPO and intends to raise Rs. 730 crores from the issue.

Fortis needs the funds to further its expansion plans as well as to write-off the debt it had incurred while acquiring Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre. Fortis Healthcare has chalked out some meg-expansion plans, partly through acquisitions, which will require investments of Rs. 2250 crores by 2010.

Trikona Capital is a real estate-focused private equity firm; it is planning to invest around $1 bn in the Indian market in the next one year. So far, it has made investments of up to $150 million in India. Apart from Fortis, Trikona’s investments include a minority stake in IL&FS Transportation and Networks for $10 million, $20 million in an integrated township project in Thane, $22 million in a residential project in Mumbai and around $55 million in an IT park in Greater Noida. The fund also has partnerships with HDFC and IL&FS to make investments in India.

Read The Economic Times article.