The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm, has promoted three of its Mumbai office executives to the post of director. The professionals promoted are Alekh Dalal (Asia Buyout), Manish Gaur (Asia Growth) and Nikhil Mohta (Asia Growth).
The promotions came as part of the internal organisational movement across the globe. Carlyle promoted 41 professionals to senior positions, 13 to the position of managing director and 28 to the position principal/director across its offices.
Dalal has joined Carlyle in 2007 and primarily focuses on investment opportunities in the consumer, healthcare, business services and infrastructure sectors in India. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was working as a vice-president at Carlyle till now.
Prior to joining Carlyle, Dalal had spent eight years in New York and worked with Saras Capital (an equity long/short hedge fund), the Cypress Group (a private equity fund) and Gleacher & Co. (mergers & acquisitions). He holds a BS in Economics from Wharton.
Manish Gaur has been elevated as the director of the Asia Growth team. Gaur had previously worked with Credit Suisse First Boston and Deutsche Bank as an equity research analyst. In his five-year career as an equity analyst, he had covered pharmaceuticals, media, auto & auto components and IT services sectors. He is an alumnus of IIT Bombay and IIM-Ahmedabad.
Nikhil Mohta has also been promoted as director in the Asia Growth Capital team. Prior to joining Carlyle, Mohta was an Associate at McKinsey & Company, India. He worked on consulting engagements across various industries, such as chemicals, oil & gas, banking and telecommunications. Mohta also holds an MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad.
Carlyle has got quite active in India during the past one year – striking multiple deals, including a few contrarian calls. It invested in two brokerage-cum-financial services companies – India Infoline and Edelweiss Financial Services – besides funding Visen Industries Ltd, a manufacturer of water-based polymer emulsions, and Jaithirth (Jerry) Rao’s Value & Budget Housing Corporation.
In another portfolio activity, Repco Home Finance Ltd, a housing finance company backed by Carlyle, has filed its draft red herring prospectus with market regulator SEBI for a primary issue where the company is looking to dilute over 25 per cent stake.
