UNITED STATES
SECURITY AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
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14a-6(e)(2))
[ ] Definitive Proxy Statement
[ ] Definitive Additional Materials
[X] Soliciting Material Pursuant to ss.240.14a-12
THE ASIA TIGERS FUND, INC.
THE INDIA FUND, INC.
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(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
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December 21, 2005
To the shareholders of the India Fund and Asia Tigers Fund:
Throughout our twenty-year history, Blackstone's modus operandi has been to seek
and hire superior professional talent in an effort to build "best-in-breed"
capabilities in all of its businesses. This is why we sought to be selected as
investment manager of the India Fund and Asia Tigers Fund after learning that
the Boards of Directors of these two Funds were considering a change in
managers. Our research revealed that the portfolio management team of these two
Funds had delivered successful investment performances during their tenure at
these two Funds.
We are therefore extremely pleased to welcome Punita Kumar-Sinha and her entire
portfolio management team to the Blackstone family. Punita has served as Chief
Investment Officer of the India Fund and Asia Tigers Fund for eight years and
six years, respectively, and the two Funds have performed successfully
throughout that period. At Blackstone, Punita and her eight person team in
Boston (with the assistance of the advisory team in Mumbai, India) will continue
to service the Funds.
Founded in 1985 by Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman, The Blackstone
Group is a private merchant banking firm with a global reach. Blackstone has
attracted successful professionals in each of its businesses, which include
alternative asset investing (in private equity, real estate, corporate debt and
a fund-of-funds hedge fund business) and financial advisory businesses. Since
its inception, Blackstone has raised approximately $52 billion of capital for
alternative asset investing.
We believe that Blackstone's reputation and investment performance in its other
businesses will assist Punita in continuing to attract capable professionals to
her portfolio management team. We also believe that the two Funds' shareholders
will benefit from their portfolio management teams' ability to capitalize on
Blackstone's global resources and relationships. At Blackstone, we encourage the
exchange of ideas across our firm's various businesses in instances where client
confidences would not be compromised in doing so. In this regard, we expect the
Funds to derive particular benefits from the significant commitment to invest in
India made by Blackstone's private equity investment funds. To pursue such
investments, our private equity business opened an office in Mumbai in May 2005
under the leadership of Akhil K. Gupta, former CEO of Corporate Development at
Reliance Industries, one of India's leading companies.
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We at Blackstone are all committed to lending our full support to the portfolio
management teams of the India Fund and Asia Tigers Fund in seeking to achieve
their objective of continuing to produce successful performances for these
Funds.
Sincerely,
/s/ Peter G. Peterson /s/Prakash A. Melwani
Peter G. Peterson Prakash A. Melwani
Senior Chairman Senior Managing Director
The Blackstone Group The Blackstone Group
Director President
India Fund India Fund and Asia Tigers Fund
Additional Information and Where You Can Find It:
In connection with the proposals to approve new management agreements for The
India Fund, Inc. and The Asia Tigers Fund, Inc. and a new country advisory
agreement for The India Fund, Inc., the Funds will file definitive proxy
statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. INVESTORS AND
STOCKHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENTS WHEN THEY BECOME
AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and
stockholders may obtain free copies of the proxy statements, when available, and
other documents filed by the Funds at the Securities and Exchange Commission's
web site, HTTP://WWW.SEC.GOV. Copies of the proxy statement will also be mailed
to each stockholder of record as of the record date.
The Funds; Blackstone Asia Advisors L.L.C., the Funds' investment manager;
Blackstone Fund Services India Private Limited, country adviser to The India
Fund, Inc.; and The Blackstone Group, and their respective directors, executive
officers and employees, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of
proxies from the Funds' stockholders in connection with the above mentioned
proposals. Information concerning the interests of the participants in the
solicitation will be set forth in the Funds' proxy statements relating to the
proposals when they become available.
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