Blackstone Inc. (BX), the investment firm headquartered in New York, is reportedly looking to raise $300m through the IPO of India’s International Gemological Institute (IGI).
Blackstone Aiming to Raise $300m Through the IGI Debut
Based on a Reuters report, this gemstone certification company aims for a valuation of about $1.5bn.
In May 2023, Blackstone bought IGI for $570m from Fosun International Limited (0656.HK) and the Lorie family, who founded the company. Describing itself as the world leader in the grading and accreditation of gems, IGI operates mainly in India.
According to Reuters, the organisation appointed Morgan Stanley (MS) and Kotak to captain its market debut. As of April 2024, IGI has 29 laboratory facilities worldwide that grade and appraise jewellery, natural and lab-grown diamonds, and other gemstones. Although founded in Belgium, this company’s main financial arteries are in India.
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A Reuters source indicated that IGI aspires to boost interest in lab-grown diamonds in India. Although these resemble diamonds, they are less expensive. This country cut the taxes on the production of lab diamonds to promote the practice and product.
In 2021, India’s jewellery sector carried a value of $78bn. Most of its products are exported, but there seems to be a local shift from gold to diamonds. Blackstone is reportedly keen to push on with the IGI IPO as India’s debut scene is the most vibrant in the Asian market sphere.
LSEG data shows that during the first quarter of this year, Indian firms amassed approximately $2.3bn in IPOs. That is a big jump from the estimated $166.5m raised during the same period last year.
