INTERVIEW-IFC plans $1 bln/yr in India investments

MUMBAI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The International Finance Corp, the World Bank's private sector lender, aims to make about $1 billion a year in new investments in India over the coming few years, matching the level of recent years, a top executive said.

India is the largest single market for the IFC, which last month joined with Standard Chartered (STAN.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and State Bank of India (SBI.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) to lend $1.6 billion to Cairn India (CAIL.BO: Quote, Profile, Research), a unit of Cairn Energy (CNE.L: Quote, Profile, Research), to fund a crude oil project in the western state of Rajasthan.

The IFC has been adding about $1 billion in portfolio exposure to the country each year in recent years.

"It's a good pace," Lars Thunell, executive vice president and chief executive of the IFC, said in an interview. He said an increase in the IFC's capital level, which it is seeking, could result in increased investment in India. (Reporting by Tony Munroe; Editing by Ranjit Gangadharan)