In October 2024, private equity and venture capital investments totaled $4.7 billion, marking a 4% increase compared to the same month last year.

While nine large deals exceeded $100 million, totaling $3.3 billion, this figure represents a slight decline of 4% from $3.4 billion in October 2023, although it shows a significant increase of 69% from $2 billion in September 2024.

The number of deals in October 2024 reached 91, which is a 21% increase from the 75 deals recorded in October 2023.

However, startup investments sharply declined to $880 million across 56 deals, reflecting a 50% drop from $1.8 billion across 42 deals in October 2023.

Sector-wise, telecommunications led the investment landscape with $10.3 billion in growth capital, followed closely by retail and consumer products at $9.3 billion, driven by major transactions involving Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail Ventures.

The largest deal in October 2024 involved Temasek acquiring an 18% stake in VFS Global Services from Blackstone for $950 million.

Other notable transactions included Temasek's $200 million investment in Rebel Foods and Eruditus Learning Solutions raising $150 million from TPG, SoftBank, Accel, and others.

Factors influencing cautious investor sentiment include rising inflation, rupee depreciation, and subdued corporate earnings in Q3.

Looking ahead, Vivek Soni from EY expressed cautious optimism but projected muted investment activity in the coming months due to ongoing market volatility.

Soni noted that established companies are attracting more interest due to their favorable risk-return profiles compared to early-stage startups.

This trend indicates that mature companies present lower investment risks and potential for quicker exits through IPOs or acquisitions.

In October 2024, the exit landscape saw nine exits totaling $1.1 billion, down from $1.9 billion across 22 exits in October 2023, with secondary exits making up 96% of the total.