(Bloomberg) -- KKR & Co. is considering an acquisition of Indian medical-device maker Healthium Medtech Ltd., according to people familiar with the matter.

The private equity firm has been holding talks with Healthium’s owner, Apax Partners, on a potential deal, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. A transaction could be valued at as much as $1 billion, according to the people. 

Apax Partners, which bought Healthium in 2018, has been working with advisers to gauge interest in the business, the people said. Other suitors including rival buyout firms have also studied an acquisition of Healthium, they said. 

Deliberations are ongoing, and talks could still fall apart or another buyer could emerge. Representatives for KKR and Apax Partners  declined to comment. 

Bengaluru-based Healthium, founded in 1992, makes products for surgical, post-surgical and chronic care applications, according to its website.  

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