The over $6-billion e-Commerce market in India will see IPOs gaining traction, preferably in the US, as well as see several consolidation moves in the next 2-3 years, experts said. Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) funds turned towards the Indian market around 2008-09 after the sub-prime crisis hit the US and the debt problems in Europe.
These funds started investing in the nascent online shopping market, where they expected huge returns in the medium-to-long term, they added. The PE and VC funds usually have investment commitments in the range of 6-10 years, after which they have to return the amount with assured benefits to their limited Partners (lPs). The funding varies on company-specific circumstances as well as market conditions.
Considering the investment cycle in India, these funds could look for a closure in 2016-18, experts said. However, the investment scene is certainly not drying up as the e-Commerce market is attracting huge attention from investors globally and there will be more funds and companies coming into the country to invest in this space, they noted.
“When investors put in money, they also have a commitment that is generally around 7-8 years after which they have to return it to their lPs. Considering many funds invested around 2010, we will see either these e-Commerce firms going for IPOs or we will see consolidations to shore up value,” Aristotle Consultancy Director Deepak Dhamija told the news agency.