Private funds invest $1.4 bln in India in Jan-March

TOKYO, Apr 10 (Reuters) Private equity and venture capital firms invested about .4 billion in 69 Indian companies in the quarter ended in March, according to data provider Venture Intelligence India.

The amount invested during the latest quarter was over 3.5 times that during the same period last year and 1.7 times that during the October-December 2005 quarter.

''The average private equity deal size has gone up to about million from million during the same period last year,'' said Arun Natarajan of Venture Intelligence India.

Unlike in the past several quarters, January-March witnessed a rise in the number of venture capital-type investments vis-a-vis private equity investments in late stage and listed companies.

There were 16 early stage investments, closing in on the number of transactions involving private investment in public enterprise, which totalled 18.

Companies in the growth stage and late stage attracted 10 and 16 investments each, respectively.

REUTERS PV BS1132