MUMBAI: Indian media and communications companies are on the investment radar of the Los Angeles-based private equity firm The Saban Capital Group.

It recently opened its second Asian office in Singapore relocating director Sumeet Jaisinghani from Hong Kong, the location of its first Asian office.

Saban Capital Group was founded by Haim Saban, the man behind the Power Rangers franchise.

The firm currently has five portfolio investments in Asia: Media Nusantara Citra; Indonesian pay TV operator MNC Sky Vision; Celestial Tiger Entertainment, a joint venture with Astro and Lionsgate; Chinese children?s online entertainment company Taomee and Indonesia?s Global Mediacom.

The group?s president and chief operating officer Adam Chesnoff told Bloomberg recently that it wants to treble its investments in Asia. "There is a void in sophisticated investors focusing on media and communication. And that is the strategy we are employing here in Asia," he said.

He revealed that apart from India, the group was also seeking to invest in other media opportunities in south east Asia and South Korea.

MUMBAI: In line with its increased emphasis on India and Southeast Asia, Saban Capital Group has expanded its Asia operations with the opening of a new office in Singapore by its wholly-owned subsidiary Saban Capital Group (Asia).

The new office is to be led by Sumeet Jaisinghani, who has re-located to Singapore from Saban Capital Group's Hong Kong office.

In the Singapore office, Jaisinghani will continue to oversee an investment team dedicated to transaction sourcing and execution. Jaisinghani, who joined Saban Capital Group in 2008, has been involved with all of the firm's investments in Asia.

Saban Capital Group began investing in Asia in 2010 and has five portfolio investments in the region: Media Nusantara Citra, MNC Sky, Celestial Tiger, Taomee, and Global Mediacom.

Saban Capital Group Asia director Sumeet Jaisinghani said, "We are excited about the opening of our Singapore office, which will result in closer touch points with investment activity in Southeast Asia and India.

"We will continue to be opportunistic on the investments that we seek and are open to a variety of growth equity, active minority investments and co-control situations. In addition to Southeast Asia and India, we are also looking selectively at opportunities in North Asia."

MUMBAI: Global media and communications investment firm Saban Capital Group has announced the opening of a new office in Hong Kong by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Saban Capital Group (Asia).

The office is led by Sumeet Jaisinghani, who has re-located to Hong Kong from Saban Capital Group?s Los Angeles office, and serves to expand the firm?s investment activities in Asia.

The Hong Kong office is Saban Capital Group?s first office in Asia.

Saban Capital Group began investing in Asia in 2010 and has three existing portfolio investments in the region: Indonesian
vertically-integrated media company Media Nusantara Citra; Celestial Tiger Entertainment, a joint venture with Astro and Lionsgate on pay TV channels and content creation and distribution across Asia; and Taomee, a children?s online entertainment company in China.

Jaisinghani, who joined Saban Capital Group in 2008, has been involved with all of the firm?s investments in Asia.

Saban Capital Group president, COO Adam Chesnoff said, ?The expansion of our investment practice into Asia represents a strategic priority for Saban Capital Group. Our presence in Hong Kong provides us with a regional connection to the many exciting investment opportunities in media and communications in Asia while supporting our existing investments in the region. Our approach of partnering with strong entrepreneurs and management teams, and contributing our expertise, relationships and capital to help them achieve their global growth objectives, is a unique proposition in these dynamic markets.?

Saban Capital Group (Asia) director Sumeet Jaisinghani said, ?As a highly specialized, and long-term, investor with a flexible mandate and a long track record, we believe we are an ideal partner for entrepreneurs and companies in Asia. Our investment profile in Asia includes the spectrum of growth equity, active minority investments, recapitalizations and co-control situations."

In the Hong Kong office, Mr. Jaisinghani will be overseeing an investment team dedicated to transaction sourcing and execution.

Saban Capital Group was established in 2001 by Haim Saban and its private equity investments outside of Asia have included: Univision Communications, the largest Hispanic media company in the United States; Bezeq Telecommunications (TASE: BEZQ), the incumbent telecom operator in Israel; and ProSiebenSat.1 (FSE: PSM), the largest television broadcast company in Germany.