Transaction in Own Shares

3i Group PLC
27 July 2006


3i Group plc
27 July 2006

                                  3i Group plc

                     Purchase and cancellation of B Shares


On 24 July 2006, 3i Group plc (the 'Company') announced that Dresdner Kleinwort
Wasserstein Securities Limited and Merrill Lynch International (together, the '
Brokers') had agreed to purchase, acting as principals, 531,418,368 B Shares
under the Initial Purchase Offer (as defined in the Company's circular to
Shareholders dated 15 June 2006 (the 'Circular')).

The Company has today completed its purchase of all the 531,418,368 B Shares
which the Brokers acquired under the Initial Purchase Offer for the same
consideration as paid by the Brokers (127p per B Share).  The Company confirms
that all these B Shares have today been cancelled.

Following the above cancellation of B Shares, the Company has 19,741,891 B
Shares remaining in issue.


Notes:

All defined terms not otherwise defined in this announcement shall bear the
meanings given in Part VIII (Definitions) of the Circular.

Further information and copies of the Circular and the Questions and Answers
document for Shareholders can be found on the Company's investor relations
website at http://www.3igroup.com.


For further information:

Patrick Dunne, Group Communications Director, 3i Group plc         020 7975 3283




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