
Partners Group to acquire majority stake in Infinity Fincorp for Rs 1,950 crore
ET first reported on the potential transaction on June 20. 'Infinity Fincorp Solutions, a leading non-bank lender in India, has entered into a share purchase and subscription agreement with Partners Group, whereby Partners Group will acquire a significant majority stake in the company,' said the joint statement issued by the two companies on Thursday.Infinity Fincorp plans to use the fresh capital to expand its branch network, invest in technology, and improve customer onboarding and experience. The investment is subject to regulatory approvals.
'We are dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and business owners across Tier 3 towns in India through flexible, need-based lending solutions that are designed to create a long-term impact,' said Shrikant Ravalkar, founder, managing director and CEO of Infinity Fincorp. 'We welcome Partners Group and intend on leveraging their operational expertise to further broad base our mission of serving the Indian MSME sector.'
Founded in 2017, Infinity Fincorp provides secured loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises, primarily in tier II and tier III cities. The company has more than Rs 1,200 crore ($140 million) in assets under management, around 50,000 customers, and operates over 120 branches across eight states. Its customer base spans sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and trading. "The MSME segment contributes a significant share of national GDP, and we expect demand for credit will continue to rise. We believe non-bank lenders such as Infinity have advantages in catering to these enterprises due to their highly specialised operations, which are better suited to providing customised solutions,' said Vageesh Gupta, managing director, private equity, Partners Group.According to Tracxn, Infinity Fincorp posted a net profit of Rs 25.72 crore in FY24, on revenue of Rs 143.7 crore.The latest funding comes after Infinity Fincorp raised $40 million in an extended Series A round in April that was led by Beams Fintech Fund, with participation from True North, Jungle Ventures, and Archerman Capital. In January, the company had raised $35 million from Jungle Ventures, Archerman Capital, and Magnifico.
Partners Group, which manages over $150 billion in assets globally, has previously invested in Indian companies such as Darwinbox, Ecom Express, and Vishal Mega Mart. In April, the firm exited Ecom Express by selling its stake to Delhivery in an all-cash deal worth Rs 1,407 crore, alongside co-investors Warburg Pincus and British International Investment. The firm has deployed $2.5 billion in India to date.
Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Markets need to see more than profits from Oyo
Can Grasim's anti-competition charge against Asian Paints stand amid intense war
Engine fuel switches or something else? One month on, still no word on what crashed AI 171
Delhivery survived the Meesho curveball. Can it keep on delivering profits?
Stock Radar: Page Industries breaks out from Cup & Handle formation; stock hits fresh 52-week high
For risk-takers with ability to stay invested for the long term: 5 small-caps from different sectors with upside potential of 5 to 32%
Multibagger or IBC - Part 14: This auto ancillary with double-digit net margins is now getting EV-focused
These mid-cap stocks with 'Strong Buy' & 'Buy' recos can rally over 25%, according to analysts
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
37 minutes ago
- Hans India
India has huge rare earth metal reserves, but production is low
'Rare earth elements' (REEs) are not actually rare in the Earth's crust, but their extraction and processing are challenging. Hence, making them economically and strategically is more important. India has the fifth-largest REE reserves globally, particularly in coastal and inland placer sands. However, despite these substantial reserves, India's contribution to global REE production is less than one per cent. This is due to limited investment in mining and refining infrastructure, as well as challenges in extracting REEs from low-grade deposits and developing advanced separation and refining technologies, particularly compared to China, the US, and Japan. India possesses significant REE reserves, estimated at 6.9 million metric tons, making it the fifth-largest globally. However, its production remains low, with less than one per cent of global REE output. India is the fifth-largest rare earth resource globally, with significant deposits in the monazite minerals. There are around 13.07 million tonne of REEs, mainly found in the monazite sand, which contains 55-60 per cent total Rare Earth Elements oxide. India's primary REE deposits are found in coastal beach sands, which often contain low mineral content. India's decision to cordon off its rare earth output set the tone for a nervous week in critical mineral markets. New Delhi ordered Indian Rare Earths Limited (unlisted) to halt neodymium exports to Japan, a dramatic break with a 13-year supply pact and a reminder that Chinese licensing controls have given every producer political leverage. Although India mined only 2,900 tonne of neodymium oxide last year, officials now pledge to reserve enough for a future magnet industry and to sweeten domestic processing with incentives. Beijing answered from the shadows. Satellite imagery and local reports show the United Wa State Army—long backed by China—ring-fencing freshly opened dysprosium and terbium-rich deposits in Myanmar's Shan State. Trucks already carry concentrate across the border, offsetting supply lost to fighting farther north and tightening China's grip on the heavy rare earths that temper heat in electric-vehicle (EV) motors and precision-guided munitions. While exploration efforts are underway, particularly in Rajasthan, commercially viable deposits of magnet-grade REEs haven't been verified yet. India lacks the technology and infrastructure for large-scale mining and processing of REEs, leading to reliance on imports, particularly magnets, mainly from China. The Indian government is actively working to develop a self-reliant REE supply chain through the National Critical Mineral Mission and exploration projects. Efforts are being made to develop advanced separation and refining technologies to process REEs domestically, reducing reliance on imports and increasing domestic production.


Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
From farm to retail: How Punjab's farmers process produce into brands –and profit– through direct sales
Hardeep Singh Jatana owns 15 acres of farm land at Jatana Khurd village in Punjab's Mansa district. He has taken an additional 20 acres on lease. On this land, he grows mustard, sugarcane, millets, and wheat. Yet, this farmer has not set foot into a mandi — where farmers sell their produce — in years. Instead, Jatana runs a store at his farm where he offers 225 processed items ranging from wood-pressed mustard oil to medicinal jaggery and millets. Most of these processed items come from produce that he has been growing in his own fields. 'We don't believe in selling raw produce to mandis. Instead, we process it and sell directly to consumers,' says Jatana. In Gurdaspur's village Sallopur, Gurdyal Singh, who owns 18 acres of land, has taken turmeric farming to the next level. Starting with just one kanal (1/8th of an acre) in 2004, he now grows turmeric on 10 acres . Equipped with his own set of machines — including a boiler, elevator, grinder, and packing unit — he processes and packages amba haldi, kali haldi, and regular turmeric varieties. 'The results have been fantastic. We have an outlet at the Kisan Bazaar in Batala and also supply our products through a sales point set up at the government agricultural offices. The products are also available on Amazon,' says Gurdyal, adding that he has several customers abroad. In Ludhiana's Dalla village, Jagtar Singh (45) left his job as a driver in 2020 and took to selling fresh sugarcane juice. He harvests 350 to 400 quintals of sugarcane annually from his two bighas (about 1.25 acres) of land. 'If I supply this cane to sugar mills, I'll earn only around Rs 2 lakh, and after covering expenses, I'd be left with just about Rs 1.25 lakh a year. But by selling juice of the same sugarcane, I earn Rs 1,500 to 2,000 per day. It means this land is giving me an annual income of around Rs 5–6 lakh,' he says Jagtar. Jatana, Gurdyal, and Jagtar are among a crop of farmers who are now bringing about a silent revolution in villages of Punjab. They are among farmers, who are stepping away from the traditional crop and mandi system and charting an independent course — processing and selling their produce directly to consumers. These are not corporate-backed ventures, but small-scale initiatives powered by innovation, self-reliance, and a clear determination to break free from the grip of middlemen. Jatana says a farmer cannot earn much from wheat and paddy. 'If a farmer doesn't take farming seriously, doesn't visit his field daily, and doesn't diversify his crops, he will remain in debt,' Sayas Jatana. 'Earlier, I used to grow narma (cotton) and would sell it in the mandi. But in 2018, I began a new journey. I took 20 acres on lease and started growing sugarcane specifically for processing,' he adds. He processes sugarcane juice into 12 varieties of jaggery and three of shakkar, including medicated versions infused with turmeric, triphala, and flaxseed to aid digestion, relieve constipation, and promote overall health. These products are now so popular that they are only available through advance bookings. 'We produce jaggery from November to April. Our clients pay us in advance during February and March. When the production season begins, we start delivering their orders,' he adds. Besides sugarcane, he cultivates mustard, kodra, kangni (millets), pulses, and wheat — completely avoiding paddy. 'I grow 15 different crops and sell all of them after processing at my store. After processing the rates go up by 2–3 times than what mandis offer,' says Jatana. Gurdyal agrees with Jatana. His turmeric fetches up to Rs 300 per kg, while the medicinal varieties like amba and kali haldi (both used as part of cure for several diseases, like swelling, digestion, joint pain, etc. ) sell for Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per kg. 'If farmers process and sell their produce directly, returns can double, triple, or even more,' he adds. From one acre, he harvests about 130 quintals of raw turmeric, which yields around 17 to 20 quintals of turmeric powder after processing. This translates into an income of around Rs 5–6 lakh per acre. After expenses, his profit comes to Rs 3–5 lakh per acre. 'If I were to sell raw turmeric in the mandi, the profit would be very low,' he adds. In the same fields, after harvesting turmeric in February, he grows pulses between March and May. Pulses, a two-month crop, yield around 50 quintals. After processing, he sells them at market rates— about Rs 120 per kg — whereas the mandi price is almost half. 'That's why I prefer direct selling,' he says proudly, adding that he is completely debt-free. Another inspiring story comes from Pharwahi village in Barnala, where Ravdeep Singh has been practicing organic farming since 2011 on his six-acre plot. He grows a wide variety of crops including wheat, basmati rice, fruits, vegetables, millets, and oilseeds using a smart multi-cropping cycle. Every Saturday, he and a few other farmers from his district participate in a direct-to-consumer weekly market in Barnala. 'Seventy per cent of our perishable produce and 100% of our dry ration is sold there. I've cleared my entire debt with such farming practices,' says Ravdeep, a postgraduate in Defence Studies. He has built a steady market for basmati rice and wheat flour through direct packaging and consumer outreach, bypassing the mandi system entirely. Managing the sugarcane juice business with his 19-year-old son Harbandeep Singh, Jagtar says processing is essential to profitability. 'It's all about quality and consistency. We've kept it traditional, and that's what customers love,' he says At Lakhowal village in Ludhiana, farmer Amarinder Singh Punia too has embraced processing to boost his income. Of the 18 acres he owns, he cultivates wheat and paddy on 14 and dedicates the remaining four acres to organic farming, growing kitchen essentials like pulses, turmeric, onions, garlic, and vegetables. 'I don't sell my wheat at the mandi or at the MSP. Instead, I process it into flour and sell it directly, earning much more than the government support price,' he says. Since 2017, he has been marketing his produce under the brand name UPJ Farm Products, which includes a range of processed items like wheat flour and cold-pressed oils. Most of these farmers insist on diversification too. For instance, Jatana maintains a 3-acre prawn farm and a 3-acre forest plot to promote biodiversity. 'I've developed a five-acre model farm that can serve as a blueprint for small and marginal farmers. Five friends can jointly cultivate all crops grown in Punjab on this land, by properly barricading it and assigning fixed working hours. If they sell their own produce, I can confidently say they will enjoy a respectful income, mental peace, mutual learning, and even joy in farming,' he asserts. Apart from turmeric and pulses, Gurdyal also grows Basmati and other crops on his remaining eight acres, all of which he sells directly to consumers under his own brand name, Agri Brand. He also practices beekeeping, which he started in 1999 with just five boxes. Today, he manages 350 boxes and sells around 50 quintals of honey annually. 'Farmers need to diversify and get involved in processing to some extent if they want to receive the true value of their produce,' he stresses. In 2015, Gurdyal also formed a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), which now has around 450 farmers attached. These farmers are now selling their produce directly through the FPO instead of mandis and are getting better prices. These farmers' efforts go beyond mere survival — they represent a holistic approach to agriculture that values soil health, water conservation, local processing, and building direct relationships with buyers. They are not only reshaping their own economic prospects but also the broader narrative of farming in Punjab.


NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Viral X Post Dismisses Kannada, Tamil As Languages Of "Poor Economies", Draws Sharp Rebuke
A viral X post disparaging Indian regional languages, such as Kannada and Tamil, labelling them as unworthy of learning and associating them with "poorer economies" and "poor quality of life," has sparked widespread outrage, particularly among users in southern cities like Bengaluru and Chennai. The user claimed that he would learn Japanese if moving to Japan or Chinese if moving to China, but would stick to English in Bengaluru or Chennai, dismissing the value of learning local languages like Kannada or Tamil due to their association with less prosperous economies and lower quality of life. "If I moved to Japan, I would learn Japanese. If I moved to China, I would learn Chinese. If I moved to Bangalore, I would rather speak English. If I moved to Chennai, I would rather speak English. No point in learning languages of poorer economies and poorer quality of life," the post read. See the post here: If I moved to Japan, I would learn Japanese. If I moved to China, I would learn Chinese. If I moved to Bangalore, I would rather speak English. If I moved to Chennai, I would rather speak English. No point in learning languages of poorer economies and poorer quality of life. — Toka (@TokaTakes) July 11, 2025 The user also argued that discussions about regional languages are overblown and urged companies to restrict investments in cities like Bengaluru and Chennai to small-scale industries to prevent what they called language-based harassment of migrants. This stance has fueled further controversy, drawing sharp criticism from southern city residents. The broad claim that Indian languages are less worthy of learning compared to those of wealthier nations provoked a strong backlash. One user wrote, "Respecting,learning & use state language is a must if you are there for longterm. If you are a visitor or there for short-term, manage with english. No hindi/urdu whatsoever. Learn or leave." Another commented, "There are enough people who act civil, learn and respect local languages. Even foreigners do it fluently and proudly." A third said, "Language harassment is getting out of hand. People should live how they want. If city dwellers have a problem with it, then it's not a proper city, just an overgrown town."