Among the bidders for an apparently hot brokerage company are Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, The Blackstone Group and E*Trade. Which company is in play? One you've never heard of: Sharekhan Securities of India. Sharekhan, part of Mumbai-based financial services group SSKI, is a top five retail brokerage in the country, with a presence in more than 150 cities. Private investors include General Atlantic Partners, Intel Capital and HSBC Private Equity. So this would be a great way to get your feet wet in a country that holds China-like potential. Goldman Sachs has been open about its intent to carve out a beachhead. The auction seems to be going well. Stay tuned.

For more:
- here's a brief from MarketWatch
- some local coverage from the India Times