By: Vlad Benn, Senior Policy & Research Manager
In March we undertook GIIA’s first activities in India, marking an important step in our engagement with members across the Asia-Pacific region.
Over several days, we convened a private dinner with CMS IndusLaw, attended the National Investment & Infrastructure Fund’s (NIIF) annual investor conference in New Delhi, and held a series of meetings with members and stakeholders. Together, these events have strengthened relationships on the ground and provided first hand insight into one of the most significant infrastructure investment markets globally.
India combines long-term infrastructure needs with a growing pipeline of investable opportunities across transport, energy, digital infrastructure and industrial development. Government-led initiatives – such as the National Infrastructure Pipeline, PM Gati Shakti and National Monetisation Pipeline, as well as corridor and logistics programmes – are helping to build momentum, while the scale of India’s energy transition is opening up major areas of interest for private capital. Against the current, global geopolitical backdrop, India is increasingly seen as a stable market in Asia, able to provide growth, scale and policy direction for long-term infrastructure investors.
We were pleased to bring senior investors, advisors and market participants together with CMS IndusLaw, to share experiences on India’s investment landscape, the energy transition opportunity, transport and industrial corridors, and on how to enter and create scale in the Indian market.
At NIIF’s annual investor conference, the direction of the next phase of India’s infrastructure growth story was a hot topic among international and domestic investors, policymakers and advisors. Elements of this discussion included the scale of the energy transition opportunity, digital infrastructure demand and the evolving role of private capital.
Several themes emerge from our conversations:
- India is increasingly viewed as a market of strategic importance for global infrastructure capital, but one that requires local understanding and a clear approach to execution.
- The energy transition is a major driver of opportunity, particularly across renewables, networks, storage and related infrastructure, though delivery remains a challenge.
- Digital infrastructure and AI-associated power demand are rising quickly as areas of investor focus.
- India’s financial and policy architecture, including the development of Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), is seen by many as a differentiating strength in attracting long-term capital.
Engaging with members directly in the market is helping us build a stronger picture of infrastructure trends across the APAC region. This will inform our advocacy work, thought leadership and research – helping us to better support our members and long-term infrastructure investment.