Private equity firm TA Associates has invested in a chain of laboratories in India as larger rival The Blackstone Group said this month it expects to double its spending in the country over the next five years.

TA Associates said in a statement yesterday that it had made a minority investment in Dr Lal a chain of pathology laboratories, by purchasing half of the stake owned by famed venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. Sequoia has been an investor in Dr Lal PathLabs since 2005.