Global PE major EQT looks to invest $5 billion in India in the next 3-4 years

Global private equity firm EQT may top up its investment in India by at least another ₹5 billion in the next three or four years. The PE firm has made investments worth ₹2 billion in the last 10 months in the financial and healthcare services sectors.

EQT has total assets under management worth over $250 billion and its top India team shared its India investment strategy and key themes on CNBC-TV18's Big Deal.

Expressing continuous optimism about India, Jimmy Mahtani, Partner and Co-Head of EQT Pvt Capital Asia, India, said, "In terms of deal size and capital deployment, our expectation is we will probably deploy another ₹5 billion in the next three or four years, maybe even more. So far, we have done ₹2 billion in the last 10 months, or so I would say, and those two are one in financial services and one in healthcare services."

Ashish Agrawal, Partner at EQT, outlined the firm's focus areas within the financial services space. He emphasised three key segments: affordable housing, financing micro and small enterprises, and wealth management.

Agrawal stressed the importance of maintaining a focus on valuation and thorough diligence in their investment approach. When discussing the banking sector, he noted that while it is expected to perform well, regulatory constraints limit control investing in the sector.

Hari Gopalakrishnan, Partner and Co-Head of EQT Pvt Capital Asia, India, expressed pride in EQT's achievements with Coforge, highlighting the company's doubling in size over the past four years. Gopalakrishnan underscored EQT's emphasis on exits, stating that the depth of the market played a crucial role in their success.