Sharon Lim

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation has said it generates an annual 9.5 percent in returns from an investment portfolio that includes private equity.

MBK Partners created ripples when its founders left Carlyle to raise a billion dollars, and now they are making a grand entrance with a $1.56bn debut fund.

CDC Group and Norfund have sold part of their shareholding in Aureos Capital, a small cap private equity manager in emerging markets, to the management.

Standard Chartered Private Equity has acquired a minority stake in Singapore-listed Wilmar Holdings, a large palm oil business group with operations in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Starwood Capital Group, the global real estate investor, has recruited Balaji Rao, a local property veteran, to spearhead its new operations in India.

The Blackstone Group is investing $50m in Emcure, an Indian pharmaceutical company, a year after setting up in Mumbai.

Francis Leung, the Chinese financier, has agreed to purchase Richard Li’s controlling stake in Hong Kong-based PCCW, whose media and telecommunications assets now seem beyond reach for private equity suitors Macquarie Bank and TPG Newbridge.

VinaCapital is raising its third fund, this time to invest in Vietnam’s technology ventures.

A new buyer has emerged with an offer to buy a controlling stake in Hong Kong-listed PCCW, while Macquarie Bank and TPG-Newbridge’s are attempting to buy its telecom and media assets.

Global private equity firm The Carlyle Group has closed its second Japanese buyout fund on $1.9 billion.