Temasek’s 11 board directors reportedly visit India to “expedite” deployment of US$10b
Staff writer7 December 2023India’s Moneycontrol financial portal reported on Wednesday (6 Dec) that the 11-member board of directors from Temasek is currently on an important visit to India.
Moneycontrol is part of the Network18 Group, an Indian media conglomerate owned by the energy giant Reliance Industries which is headed by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The group operates a host of media entities including TV18 Broadcast, Network18 Publishing, Capital18, News18, CNBC India, Forbes India and so on.
According to Moneycontrol, the move by Temasek’s board is part of Singapore’s strategy to “strengthen connections and expedite the deployment of $10 billion” in India over the next 3 years.
Having consistently invested an average of US$1-$1.5 billion annually in India for the past 19 years, the company now aims to triple that amount, the report said.
“The entire Temasek board is on a 4-day trip to India and will spend time in Delhi and Mumbai this week. Meetings with industrialists, corporations and senior government officials are on the agenda,” Moneycontrol quoted a source as saying.
Since August 2013, Lim Boon Heng, a former People’s Action Party politician, has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Temasek, while Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara took on the role of CEO in October 2021.
Citing another source, the report said Temasek has recently undertaken significant transactions in India, which reflected India’s importance to Temasek. It said India is currently a focal point for Temasek, and the entire board’s exposure to local entrepreneurs and management teams is deemed advantageous.
The decision to have a physical presence on the ground is considered crucial, the report added. The visit will also include planned interactions with Temasek’s portfolio companies in India.
In April, Temasek executed the largest-ever private equity deal in the Indian healthcare sector, acquiring a majority stake in Manipal Hospitals, led by Ranjan Pai, for over US$2 billion.
Temasek’s investments in India include notable entities such as Ola, Zomato, Dr Agarwal’s Healthcare, Medica Superspeciality Hospital, Atomberg, UpGrad, HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential Life, Integrace, Curefit, and others.
According to Temasek’s website, the 11 current board members of Temasek are:
- Lim Boon Heng (Chairman) – Ex-Cabinet Minister and Ex-Secretary General of NTUC
- Cheng Wai Keung (Deputy Chairman) – Chairman and MD of Wing Tai Holdings, Chairman of Singapore Health
- Bobby Chin – Ex-Managing Partner of KPMG Singapore
- Fu Chengyu – Ex-Chairman of SINOPEC Group
- Jenny Lee – Managing Partner of GGV Capital
- Stephen Lee – MD of Great Malaysia Textile Investments, Chairman and MD of Shanghai Commercial & Savings Bank
- Lee Theng Kiat – Chairman of Temasek International, Singapore Telecommunications and NCS
- Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara – Executive Director & CEO of Temasek
- Tan Chee Meng – Deputy Chairman of WongPartnership LLP
- Peter Voser – Chairman of ABB, Group Chairman of PSA International, Director of IBM Corp
- Jaime Zobel de Ayala – Chairman of Ayala Corp, Globe Telecom, Bank of the Philippine Islands and Ayala Land