Sequoia Capital India Advisors Pvt Ltd, a US-based venture capital firm, plans to invest about $600 million in start-ups in India over the next three to four years in sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and agri-business.

The VC fund, which currently manages funds capitalised at $1.5 billion in India, has so far invested $900 million in the country. Over the last 10 years it has invested in about 50 companies including Cafe Coffee Day, Idea Cellular, Just Dial, Manappuram Finance, Shaadi.com, Paras Pharma, SKS Microfinance and Bharti Telesoft.

''Our model is to find a good company in a good market, be invested and grow with the company,'' said G.V. Ravishankar, managing director, Sequoia Capital. ''We are looking at niche areas for investment.''

The VC firm also announced its second round of funding of Rs.25 crore in Andhra Pradesh-based K12 Techno Services Pvt Ltd, which currently operates 70 model schools in the state. Last year, Sequoia Capital had invested Rs.75 crore in the venture, along with Song Investment Advisors (in a ratio of 80:20). The two firms now have a 49 per cent stake in K12 Techno Services.

According to M Venkatanarayana, managing director, K12 Techno Services, the company would open 25 new schools, besides upgrading infrastructure. It plans to start about 40 schools in Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Karnataka next year. The firm operates 70 affordable English-medium schools, which are managed by 15 trusts under the Gowtham Model School brand.

K12 Techno Services has also tied up with Brilliant Tutorials for its IIT-JEE preparatory courses, with CfBT Education Trust, UK, for teacher training and the Indian School of Business for training school principals in business management.