Sharon Lim

Bain Capital has partnered CBL & Associates, a US mall developer and owner, to invest in a Chinese mall operator and real estate developer based in Nanjing.

CDC Group, the UK government-backed fund of funds, has made a $20 million commitment to Lombard Asia III, an expansion capital fund that will focus on South Asia and Greater China.

Dubai-based Abraaj Capital has secured one-quarter of its targeted fund size at the first close of its infrastructure and growth capital fund.

GSR Ventures, an affiliate of Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Mayfield, has raised $200 million for its second China-focused fund, less than a year after closing its debut fund.

SIDBI Venture Capital and Clearstone Venture are investing a combined $6.5 million into a mobile device designing and manufacturing startup, DGB Microsystems. The startup’s founder and associates are putting in $2 million of their own money.

Abraaj Capital, through its Indian joint venture fund, has made its first investment in the country’s infrastructure sector alongside the private equity arm of India’s Infrastructure Leasing and Finance Services (IL&FS) group.

CLSA Capital Partners is upbeat that India’s infrastructure spending will keep cranes fully-utilised.

Mekong Capital is increasing its investment in a company it first backed in early 2004 - a magnet wire manufacturer in Vietnam ahead of a company listing scheduled for 2008.

Private equity firms invested a record $7.46 billion in India during 2006, more than triple the amount invested in 2005, according to Venture Intelligence, an Indian industry research service.

3i and Khazanah, the investment arm of the Malaysian government, have completed a $620 million investment in what has been described to be the largest private placement for an Asian start-up. Each cornerstone investor committed $200 million to create the first pan-Asia focused independent reinsurer.