Thursday, February 15, 2007

Citigroup, Blackstone, IDFC, IIFC tie-up for $5bn India Infrastructure Financing Initiative fund

US-based financial services giant Citi and private equity major Blackstone have joined hands with infrastructure finance companies IDFC and India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFC) to set up a $5 bn (Rs. 22,000 crores) fund to finance the India Infrastructure Financing Initiative. According to government estimates, infrastructure development in India would require $320 bn in the next five years. The India Infrastructure Financing Initiative will have equity and quasi-equity of $1 bn and $3 bn long-term debt. The equity financing programme will be managed by IDFC and the fund will be invested in greenfield, brownfield and operating projects. Debt financing will be channeled through IIFC, in several tranches over the next three years for projects appraised by IDFC, certain banks and financial intermediaries. IDFC, Citi and Blackstone will together invest $250 mn while the balance is expected to come from reputable international investors as well as select domestic institutional investors, including IIFC.

Read the article in Business Standard and The Economic Times.

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