The second month of 2012 saw $922.7 million of private equity (PE) investments in Indian companies across 51 deals, 58% higher than the investments of $583.8 million across 24 deals in the same month last year.

However, the average deal size declined to $23.1 million from $38.9 million last year, as February 2012 was marked by a high number of smaller value deals.

During the month, the real estate sector topped the investment chart, accounting for 36.6% of the total investments, while the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector occupied the second slot with 23.6% share.

Mint, in association with Four-S Services, presents a snapshot of the PE landscape in India for February.