Religare Enterprises Ltd raised its stake in Vistaar Religare Capital Advisors Ltd. ('Religare Capital Advisors') to 74%. Vistaar Entertainment Ventures Pvt. Ltd., holds the remaining portion. Religare Capital Advisors is the manager of the US$50 million Vistaar Religare Film Fund. (India)

The National Council for Social Security Fund will make allocations to between three and five private equity funds this year, according to chairman Mr Dai Xianglong. CDH Investments and Hony Capital are among the latest group of recipients. (People's Republic of China)

Apax Partners has opened its Shanghai office, its first in mainland China. The office will be headed by Mr Richard Zhang. (People's Republic of China)

The International Finance Corporation agreed to take a 9.23% equity stake in the enlarged capital of Ko Yo Ecological Agrotech (Group) Limited for HK$78 million (US$10 million). (People's Republic of China)

The Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Finance agreed to invest in new funds established by Shanghai Venture Capital Co. Ltd., Suzhou Ventures Group, Govtor Capital, Shandong High-Tech Investment Corporation, Wuhan Huagong Venture Capital Co., Ltd., and Hefei Innovation Science Venture Capital Co., Ltd. (People's Republic of China)

Leopard Cambodia Ltd., a subsidiary of Leopard Capital, LP, has closed its Leopard Cambodia Fund, LP at US$27.2 million. Leopard Cambodia Fund has an 8-year life and is Cambodia's first multi-sector fund. Leopard Cambodia Fund will be managed by Leopard Cambodia Ltd. (Cambodia)

The government of Yangzhou's announced the launch of CTC (Yangzhou) Venture Cooperation Fund with the local private equity firm CTC Capital. The new fund achieved its final closing at 300 million yuan (US$43.9 million). (People's Republic of China)

China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group announced the launch of China Guangdong Nuclear Industrial Fund Management Co., Ltd., which oversees the 10 billion yuan (US$1.5 billion) China Guangdong Nuclear Industrial Fund. The industrial fund targets 7 billion yuan as its first closing and invests in nuclear power and clean energy. (People's Republic of China)

The Shenzhen CDF-Capital Company Limited joined hands with the Suzhou-based SND Ventures Group to launch a 300 million yuan (US$43.9 million) fund. To be named the Suzhou CDF-Capital Hi-Tech Fund LP, it invests in enterprises located in the Suzhou National New & Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone. (People's Republic of China)

Morgan Stanley Alternative Investment Partners ('Morgan Stanley AIP') has closed its latest global private equity fund of funds, Morgan Stanley Private Markets Fund IV ('Fund IV'),at US$1.14 billion. Fund IV will invest in three main areas, including buyouts situations in North America and Western Europe, global venture capital and special situations. (Global)

Investors of ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals Limited ('ChemGenex'), including GBS Venture Partners, Alta Partners and Orbis Investment Management will participate in ChemGenex's forthcoming A$7.4 million (US$5.2 million) non-renounceable rights issue. (Australia)

Inventus Capital Partners, a US-based venture capital firm, has invested an undisclosed sum in Insta Health Solutions Private Limited ('Insta Health'), a Bangalore-based hospital information technology solutions company. (India)

Reliance Technology Ventures Limited ('Reliance Ventures'), has teamed up Silicon Valley investors to invest an aggregate US$15 million in Stoke, Inc. ('Stoke'), a US-based Mobile broadband gateway provider. (India/USA)

Towona Corporation ('Towona'), one of the largest transport digital media operators in China, has confirmed that it has received at least US$10 million from existing investors.
       Since early 2006, Towona had raised funds from a long list of investors, including Cathay Capital Group, CDH Investments, Chengwei Ventures, Baring Private Equity Asia and Walden International. (People's Republic of China)

Changsha High-Tech Venture Capital Co., Ltd. teamed up with Changsha Science & Technology Venture Capital Co., Ltd. to participate in a 29.5 million yuan (US$4.3 million) fund raising undertaken by Hunan Joyfly New Material Co. Ltd. (People's Republic of China)

Sequoia Capital China joined hands with Legend Capital and CCB International to commit 400 million yuan (US$58.6 million) to Fujian Peak Group Co., Ltd. ('Fujian Peak'). According to a spokesman of Fujian Peak, this is the last round of fund financing prior to its planned listing. (People's Republic of China)

Adani Power Limited, backed by 3i plc ('3i'), submitted its latest draft red herring prospectus ('red herring') to the Securities and Exchange Board of India. In 2007, 3i invested 9 billion rupees (US$177.1 million) in Adani Power. (India)

H&Q Asia Pacific Korea has recently sold two materials companies, Hyujin Materials Co. Ltd. and Yonghyun Base Materials Co. Ltd. Listed on the KOSDAQ, both companies raised an aggregate 42 billion won (US$44.7 million) from the financial investors between November 2006 and May 2007. (South Korea)

China Renaissance Capital Investment has sold approximately 24% of its holdings in E-House (China) Holdings Ltd. and returned an estimated US$26 million to its coffers. (People's Republic of China)

China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd., in which Olympus Capital Holdings Asia is an investor, is seeking to raise up to HK$12.32 billion (US$1.6 billion) from its initial public offering. (People's Republic of China)

Haitong Fortis Private Equity Fund Management Co., Ltd. completed its latest round of share disposal in Chenzhou Mining Group Co., Ltd., a mining company in Hunan, China. Since January, the private equity firm has sold over 14.22 million shares in Chenzhou Mining. (People's Republic of China)

Ms Renuka Ramnath, Managing Director & CEO of ICICI Venture Funds Management, has tendered her resignation. Her position is being filled by Ms Vishakha Mulye. (India)

Mr Chen Fan, head of Standard Chartered Private Equity's Greater China region, has resigned, according to reports. The firm declined to comment. (People's Republic of China)