Asia business Singapore


The East-West Asia investment corridor will drive global economic growth for the next three decades, a private equity buyout firm operating across the GCC and Southeast Asia has predicted.

According to Gulf Capital, the new ‘Silk Route’ across the East-West corridor is one of the fastest growing economic blocs in the world today.

It says the GDP of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the ASEAN countries, and India will grow by 220 per cent, 270 per cent and 410 per cent respectively by 2050, in contrast to a slower growth of 50 per cent for the European economies and 80 per cent. for the US economy over the next three decades.

This week the SuperReturn Asia conference of private equity and venture capital enthusiasts in Singapore is discussing opportunities for global and regional investors as Asian countries deepen and strengthen their investment networks across East and West of Asia.

Dr Karim El Solh, Gulf Capital’s CEO, said: “Global investors today realise that they have unprecedented growth opportunities in Asia, with robust macro-economic fundamentals, a growing middle-class led by a young, tech-savvy demographic, and a revival of the intra-regional economic connectivity and trade flows along the new Silk Route.

“With a network of local offices and on the ground private equity teams from the GCC to Southeast Asia, Gulf Capital is uniquely positioned to capitalise on this unprecedented growth across the new Silk Route across the East-West Asia corridor.”

Expansion plans

Gulf Capital invests in well-established mid-market businesses run by entrepreneurs in the technology, fintech, healthcare, business services, and sustainability industries. It recently established an office in Singapore and hired a local team of private equity experts to help Gulf Capital’s portfolio companies to expand from the GCC to Southeast Asia.

Shantanu Mukerji, head of Gulf Capital’s Southeast Asian operation, said: “As we expand our franchise, we will focus on acquiring and growing portfolio companies along the East-West Asia investment corridor. Typically, we have been acquiring companies in the West of Asia and growing them into global leaders by successfully expanding them across East Asia.

“ASEAN businesses that we take to the GCC will benefit from the very high growth and numerous opportunities in this region. Long term, we intend to recreate this new Silk Route and invest along the high growth East-West Asia corridor.”



Image and article originally from thefintechtimes.com. Read the original article here.