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Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Isolux Corsán Announce Commitment To Invest Up to USD 400 Million in a Joint Venture in India
May 24 2011 | Amsterdam, New Delhi |
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Morgan Stanley Infrastructure (MSI), the dedicated infrastructure investing platform of Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), announced today that Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (MSIP), a USD 4 billion global infrastructure fund, has committed to invest up to USD 200 million in a joint venture with Isolux Corsán Concesiones in India. Grupo Isolux Corsán has also committed to match the investment in the joint venture, bringing the total commitment to USD 400 million, one of the largest foreign investments in Indian transport infrastructure to date. Isolux Corsán Concesiones is a large-scale infrastructure concessions subsidiary of Grupo Isolux Corsán, a global company with revenues of USD 4 billion, specialising in large projects across construction, engineering and concessions. The joint venture is constructing three highway projects in India under long-term concession agreements awarded through the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) program of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The three projects, which total over 400 kilometers of road, are estimated to cost over USD 1.6 billion and have already received debt financing from leading financial institutions and substantial equity investment from Isolux Corsán. The projects are expansions of existing roads, and will link major cities, industrial hubs, as well as ports and tourist attractions. In addition to these three projects, Isolux Corsán has qualified to bid on several new NHAI projects. “We are very pleased to have concluded an exclusive deal for this addition to our global fund,” said Sadek Wahba, Global Head of MSI and Chief Investment Officer of MSIP. “This joint venture offers an excellent opportunity for Morgan Stanley Infrastructure to pursue its overall strategy of creating a stable portfolio of assets diversified by sector and geography. This platform will leverage Isolux Corsán’s strong credentials in developing infrastructure assets for emerging markets and its proven ability to work with local construction companies.” Antonio Portela, CEO of Grupo Isolux Corsán, said, “We look forward to working with Morgan Stanley Infrastructure, a renowned global infrastructure investor. This investment represents the recognition of our strategy in India and the confidence in our expertise in the development of large infrastructure projects in emerging markets. We believe that Isolux Corsán Concesiones and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure will together capitalize on the Indian roads opportunity and create a best-in-class road portfolio company in the years to come.” The Indian road development program being undertaken by the NHAI under a Public-Private-Partnership model is among the largest PPP programs in the world today. NHAI’s National Highway Development Program was initiated in 1999 and is estimated to total USD 50 billion when completed. India has witnessed double-digit growth in vehicle registrations over the past 10 years, according to Euromonitor, and Morgan Stanley Research identifies it as the second-fastest growing auto market in the world. “The joint venture with Isolux Corsán Concesiones adds to our successful presence in India’s transportation sector, providing us with an excellent road concession platform in a market that is experiencing rapid urbanization and dramatic growth in vehicles,” said Gautam Bhandari, Head of MSI Asia. “As with our other investments in emerging markets, we target unique assets and world-class partners to build exceptional infrastructure companies in the region.” About Morgan Stanley Infrastructure About Morgan Stanley About Isolux Corsán Concesiones About Grupo Isolux Corsán Morgan Stanley Genesis Burson Marsteller on behalf of Morgan Stanley and Isolux Corsán Isolux Corsán |
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