PE investments reaches USD 7.47 bn in H1 2015: Study

Private equity investments during the April-June period totalled USD 4.29 billion, taking the deal value for the first six months of the year to USD 7.47 billion -- the "best ever" for India, says a report.
According to the PwC MoneyTree India report, a quarterly study of PE investment activity based on data provided by Venture Intelligence, such investments in the quarter totalled to USD 4.29 billion across 135 deals, up 35 per cent over the previous quarter when 172 deals worth USD 3.18 billion were announced.
Together, Q1 (January-March) and Q2 (April-June) 2015 made the first half of the year the best-ever in the history of PE investment in India, totalling USD 7.47 billion, it said.

"This trend is expected to continue with more firms investing in newer technologies. Smart machines are likely to usher in a new era of digital transformation with wearables, advanced robotics, 3D printing and smart advisors evolving rapidly," PwC India leader - Technology Sandeep Ladda said.
Sanjeev Krishan, leader, Private Equity, PwC India also believes that the buoyancy exhibited in the first half of 2015 is likely to continue in the second half as well.
"In the short-term, deal activity in e-commerce, healthcare, IT and life sciences is expected to continue; the core and infrastructure sector may see some transactions too. While the Reserve Bank of India has maintained rates for now, it is expected that we would move towards lower rates over a period of time, and this should help," Krishan said.

Sector-wise, healthcare and life sciences attracted investments worth USD 827 million -- more than double the figure in the January-March period of this year and 46 per cent more than April-June quarter of 2014.
In terms of cities, Mumbai made a comeback to the top slot with regard to PE investments in this quarter with an investment of USD 2.02 billion from 28 deals, the report added.