Private Equity Firms to Invest $3 billion in Indian Real Estate Sector in 2007

Private equity (PE) firms have committed close to $3 billion investments in Indian real estate sector in 2007, despite the high realty prices and increased loan rates.

About one-third of private equity funding in India has come from the real estate and infrastructure development sector during the first half of 2007, reports the newspapers.

Some big deals in the realty sector in 2007 include DE Shaw’s $400 million investment in DLF Assets, IL&FS’s $100 million in QVC Realty, Morgan Stanley Real Estate’s $150 million in Oberoi Constructions, Singapore-based GIC, George Soros and Morgan Stanley joint investment of $166 million in Anant Raj Industries and TPG-Axon Capital’s $100 million investment in DivyaSree Developers.

NYSE Euronext-listed real estate investment firm Yatra Capital, plans to invest over $ 1 billion in India over the next 12 months. Yatra has invested 21.6 million euros for a 49 per cent holding in Kolte Patil Developers. The joint venture is set to develop three residential projects in Pune in areas located next to the commercial and technology related developments.

The company will also invest 22.37 million euros for three projects including a 50 per cent stake in retail mall in Nashik, 30 per cent stake in a mixed-use development in Indore and another 35 per cent stake in a residential township in Indore.