Monday, January 29, 2007

JM Financial’s PE fund referred to CCEA; approved by FIPB

JM Financial Trustees Company’s proposal to set up a Rs. 900 crore-private equity fund has been referred to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). The Mumbai-based trust will mobilize funds in the domestic and the overseas markets to make private equity investments in Indian companies. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has already provided an in-principle approval to the fund.

The fund plans to invest in IT and IT-enabled services, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and media through separate schemes (and not through units of equity shares). Since such investments are not permitted through the automatic route, the application was first submitted to the Board and then referred to the CCEA. The trust has sought approval to float an offshore fund which would raise monies from high net-worth individuals, NRIs / PIOs, corporate and financial institutions from countries such as the US, the UK, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The fund will be established in Mauritius and will be a global business license-category I company.

The proposal has attracted Schedule 5 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) notification of 2000. Accordingly, the fund can make the proposed investment but is restricted between equity and debt instruments in a 70:30 ratio. Also, if the FII plans to invest 100% in dated government securities, including treasury bills or non-convertible bonds and debentures, it will have to form a 100% debt fund registered with the Securities Exchange board of India (SEBI).

Article in The Economic Times.

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