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Asia-Pacific infrastructure investing is a long game at KKR

That is the only way to reap rewards down the road, says Projesh Banerjea, a director at the asset manager and a member of its Asia-Pacific infrastructure team

Joan Ng
Published Mon, Sep 23, 2024 · 05:15 PM
    • Projesh Banerjea, a member of KKR’s Asia-Pacific infrastructure team, says that people misunderstand or underestimate how difficult it is to build critical mass and to build a competitive advantage.
    • Projesh Banerjea, a member of KKR’s Asia-Pacific infrastructure team, says that people misunderstand or underestimate how difficult it is to build critical mass and to build a competitive advantage. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT

    IT WAS 2021 when KKR’s South-east Asia infrastructure team first started talking to Singtel about data centres. The introduction came through other KKR colleagues, who had been building a relationship with Singtel since the asset manager set up a Singapore office in 2012.

    Those conversations continued for a while, but it was not till the third quarter of 2022 that discussions turned more serious and substantive. It would take another year before a deal was done.

    Projesh Banerjea, a director at KKR and a member of its Asia-Pacific infrastructure team, said this measured pace should be seen as an indication of the deep commitment KKR has to the region.

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