Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Shekhar Kapur to raise $500mn in S'pore

Shekhar Kapur, the director of Oscar-nominated film Elizabeth, is in talks to raise a $500 million fund in Singapore to invest in the entertainment industry, including movies and music across Asia.

Investors in Singapore were more willing to bet on businesses that might take a longer period of time to make a profit, unlike hedge funds or private equity firms, the Indian director said in an interview in Singapore.

Kapur aims to capitalise on rapid economic growth in Asia, home to 3.8 billion people, or 60 per cent of the global population. In India, the second-fastest growing major economy after China, he directed Bandit Queen in 1994, a controversial film that gained international attention when it was banned by the Indian government.

Startup companies with innovative ideas and technology needed time to nurture their businesses, said Andrew Craissati, a former investment banker and chief executive officer of the US-based Transpac Media, which advises companies on listing on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

Read more in The Business Standard article.

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