Indiaco Ventures buys 20.83% stake in Laser Cosmetics

Private equity player Indiaco Ventures Ltd on Monday said it has acquired 20.83 per cent stake in Laser Cosmetics Pvt Ltd.The company has also subscribed 25 per cent in preference shares of Laser Cosmetics, Indiaco Ventures said in a communique to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The company now holds 1.5 lakh shares of Rs 10 each out of the total 7.20 lakh shares and 12,500 preference shares of Rs 100 each out of the total 50,000 preference shares of Laser Cosmetics Pvt Ltd.

Indiaco provides capital (investment), direction and operational expertise in distinct asset classes for select identified industry verticals. The company has been recognised by various multilateral agencies and is supported by InfoDev, a World Bank initiative.

Laser Cosmetics Pvt Ltd has clinics operating which are stand alone centres to cater to spectrum of cosmetic surgery services under the brand name of "MAAYA", the company plans to expand across major Indian cities.

US fund to pick up stake in Angel Infin Private

A US-based private equity fund is close to picking up a minority stake in Angel Infin Private, the holding company of domestic brokerage house Angel Broking.

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private equity arm of World Bank, is another strong contender in the race. Two private equity investors, one each from Europe and Asia respectively, have also evinced an interest in the stake sale.

The due diligence process has been completed and only the final financial negotiations remain, according to sources. The deal is likely to be formally announced shortly. The valuation of the group is close to Rs 1,200-1,300 crore.

The new investor will be issued fresh equity in Angel Infin Private. Angel expects to raise Rs 150 crore from the investor to fund its retail expansion, taking the number of its branches from 80 to 260 in smaller cities.

The company plans to garner around Rs 250 crore through private placement in two tranches. It will raise around Rs 150 crore in the first tranche by diluting around 10-15 per cent. In the second tranche, by next year, it would mobilise another Rs 100 crore by diluting 5-7 per cent holding.

Read more in The Business standard article.

IFC to buy stake in Angel Broking

International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector funding arm of World Bank, is in talks with Angel Broking group to pick up a minority stake in its holding company.

The group is in advanced discussions with four global investors and IFC is one of them. “We expect to finalise an investor soon,” said Angel Chairman and Managing Director Dinesh Thakkar.

The new investor will be issued fresh equity in Angel Infin Private, a holding company of group. Angel expects to raise Rs 150 crore from the investors to fund its retail expansion, taking its branches from 80 to 260 in smaller cities.

The multilateral agency discloses the investment proposal as part of its efforts to enhance the transparency of its activities. IFC said the proposed investment will help Angel introduce new products to serve its clients more effectively.

Read more in The Business Standard article.

Max India plans acquisitions in contract research, insurance

Insurance and health-care firm Max India Ltd said it secured a Rs300 crore investment commitment from International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private investment arm of the World Bank, for its Max Healthcare unit. The company has raised another Rs1,000 crore from the market to fuel expansion of its insurance business.

Max, which is promoted by entrepreneur Analjit Singh, plans acquisitions in contract research as well as health insurance, while adding two hospitals a year to its network. The group plans to acquire contract research organizations in the US and Europe to bolster its existing operation, Neeman Medical International.A Ficci-Ernst & Young study pegged the clinical trials market as rising to $1.27 billion (Rs5,207 crore) worldwide in 2012 with profit margins of 20-25%

Read more in The Livemint article.

IFC aims over $500mn investment in India

With India emerging as one of the most preferred investment destinations globally, World Bank's private equity arm, International Finance Corporation, aims to cross $500 million mark in new investments by June.

During the fiscal, IFC invested over Rs 91.71 crore in a subsidiary of Moser Baer, a manufacturer of optical storage device, and infused about Rs 82 crore for assisting Kanoria Chemicals in its expansion plan.

It has also picked up 11.48 per cent stake in Granules India for around Rs 26 crore and has committed a $50 million loan to Orissa-based cement manufacturer OCL India Ltd.

IFC would also invest over Rs 101.37 crore to help expansion of the production capacity of electronic bikes marker Electrotherm India in Gujarat.

Read more in The DNA Money article.