Samvad Partners
Chennai-based NBFC Samunnati Financial Intermediation & Services has raised Rs 150 crores ($23.5m) in a Series-C funding round led by Swiss investment firm responsAbility with participation from existing investors Elevar Equity and Accel Partners, as reported by VCCircle and The Hindu. The investment was done by way of subscription to 100 equity shares and 317,423 compulsory convertible preference shares of Samunnati.
In the latest bi-annual rankings compiled by consultancy RSG India, AZB & Partners has topped the table ahead of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (SAM) and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM), which had topped the table in 2015 when still united in one firm as Amarchand Mangaldas before their break-up (see full table below).
Online insurance selling platform Policybazaar, which is operated by ETechAces Marketing and Consulting, has raised Rs 515 crore ($79 million) in a Series E funding round, as reported by VC Circle.
"Monsanto is selling its branded cotton seeds business in India to Hyderabad-based Tierra Agrotech, although the US biotechnology major would remain invested in farming segments such as corn seeds, crop protection, vegetables and Bollgard II technologies," reported the Economic Times.
ASDA Media & Entertainment Private Limited (ASDA), an INDASDA Group entity, has acquired a significant stake in Moshe's Fine Foods Private Limited from South Asia Gastronomy (Mauritius) Enterprises LLC, a food and beverage portfolio company and platform of private equity firm, New Silk Route, as reported by The Economic Times and Deal Street Asia.
Samvad Partners added advocate-on-record (AOR) and NLSIU Bangalore 2005 alumnus Arjun Krishnan as a partner in Delhi, effectively from August 2017.
"Trade financing company Vayana Network, which recently split from parent company Vayana (VPL), has raised $4 Million (about Rs 26 crore) from venture capital firms IDG Ventures India and Jungle Ventures," reported Indian CEO.
“E-commerce logistics services provider Delhivery has raised $30 million from Chinese conglomerate Fosun International. This additional investment is a part of the $100 Mn funding the company raised in March from The Carlyle Group, as indicated by ETTech. The company currently services 800 cities, 9000 pin codes with a network of 12 fulfilment centres. Delhivery claims it fulfils 10 million shipments a month,” reported Medianama.
“BlackBuck, the B2B intercity logistics startup, has raised Series C funding of $70 million in a round led by Sands Capital. Among existing investors, Accel and Flipkart participated in this round, while Tiger Global and Apoletto did not.
Samvad Partners acted for Delhivery Private Limited on its Rs 650 crore ($100m) investment by private equity giant Carlyle Group along with Tiger Global.
Former Milbank Tweet Hadley & McCloy counsel Sanjeet Malik has joined Samvad Partners in Delhi, reported Bar & Bench.
Siddharth Raja, who was a co-founder of Narasappa, Doraswamy & Raja that later became Samvad Partners, will join Argus Partners in Bangalore as a senior partner and national executive director, with a remit to also oversee the firm’s Chennai practice.
PDS Legal advised Tata Capital Healthcare Fund on selling its shares in Sandor Nephro Services, which was advised by Fox Mandal, to Fresenius Medical Care which was advised by Samvad Partners.
"PayU Global, the digital payments provider owned by South Africa’s Naspers Group, will buy rival Citrus Pay for $130 million in an all-cash deal. PayU India will have more than 30 million customers post the acquisition of Citrus Pay. The company forecast it will process an estimated 150 million transactions, worth $4.2 billion, in 2016. The deal, once concluded, is expected to provide an attractive exit to Citrus Pay’s investors—Ascent Capital, Beenos and Sequoia Capital. PayU confirmed that the early investors will exit but declined to disclose details,” reported Mint.
India-based language service provider Mayflower Language Services has entered into a joint venture with Polish language services provider Summa Linguae, which will see both companies take 25% minority stakes in each other. to “generate cost and revenue synergies” and “expand their existing range of services in new language pairs” to “cater to clients with more complex needs and higher expectations”, according to a company press release.
Luthra & Luthra has hired Samvad Partners corporate partner Apurva Jayant in Mumbai, Bar & Bench has reported.
Former Agram Legal Consultants partner Sudipta Routh, who’d joined the firm in May 2015 from Luthra & Luthra, will join Samvad Partners in Mumbai as its third partner.
Clove Legal advised queue management app Sminq on raising $1m from various venture funds led by Saama Capital and Blume Ventures. Saama was advised by Samvad.