Rabo India Finance (Rabo India) will set up a commercial bank next year. According to Rana Kapoor, the company currently registered as non-banking finance company, is planning to expand its operations in India with a special focus on food and agro-based industries, pharma and healthcare, and information technology.
"We will set up a banking organisation in the year 2000. Currently, our focus is on wholesale corporate finance and advisory services," Rana Kapoor, managing director of Rabo India Finance told Business Standard.
Gilde, the venture capital and private equity arm of Rabo Bank International is also looking for investments in India, primarily in the IT sector.
According to Ronil Sujan, associate director at Rabo India, the Gilde IT fund is currently $ 150 million. "We are planning to invest in India through this fund. More investments are being raised in the market for making investments in India. They are very keen to look at investment opportunities in the IT sector in India," he said.
Kapoor said that Dutch companies are keen to invest in the agro industry in India. "There is a need to focus on infrastructure for the agricultural activities. Dutch companies have the expertise to create the logistics. We can advise to existing players for the purpose. Dairy International has already picked up a 49 per cent stake in RPG Group's FoodWorld, a retail chain store," he said.
He said that there was a need to corporatise farming. "Many big industry houses in India are keen on the agricultural sector. There are things that government also can initiate. Various models exist for the purpose. For example, agricultural universities have a lot of land which can be used to cultivate export oriented crops and their variants," he added.
