Blackstone has appointed Ami Momaya as managing director and head of infrastructure for India, marking the alternative asset manager's first dedicated infrastructure hire in the Asia-Pacific region. The appointment, announced on July 16, 2026, coincides with Blackstone's launch of a dedicated Asia-Pacific infrastructure platform as the firm seeks to replicate its success in private equity and real estate by tapping one of the region's most competitive capital markets for infrastructure deals.
Momaya joined Blackstone from KKR India, where she served as managing director overseeing infrastructure investments. The hire underscores aggressive recruitment of proven regional talent by Blackstone as it competes against entrenched rivals. Sean Klimczak, Blackstone's global head of infrastructure, said the appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the firm's infrastructure business. He emphasised that infrastructure remains a strategic priority and that establishing the Asia-Pacific platform strengthens Blackstone's ability to bring its global scale and expertise to critical infrastructure assets across the region. No search firm involvement was disclosed in announcements of the appointment.
Momaya brings over two decades of infrastructure investing experience spanning three major institutions. She spent 17 years at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, where she advanced through roles from analyst to executive director while helping establish the bank's Indian infrastructure investing business. She then moved to India's National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, where she served as partner before joining KKR's India office in early 2022. Her progression from director to managing director at KKR demonstrates both technical depth and leadership capability within a rival firm that has invested roughly USD 11 billion in India since entering the market nearly two decades ago.
Blackstone itself has become India's largest private equity investor, with approximately USD 50 billion deployed across healthcare, warehousing, and real estate. The firm's Asia private equity business is led from Mumbai by Amit Dixit, and Blackstone's portfolio in India now carries a total market value exceeding USD 60 billion. The global firm manages approximately USD 84 billion in infrastructure assets across energy, transportation, digital infrastructure, and water and waste sectors. Recent marquee Asia infrastructure investments include the acquisition of AirTrunk, Australia and India's leading data centre operator, signalling aggressive positioning in digital infrastructure as demand surges for capital supporting cloud and artificial intelligence-related buildouts.
The appointment reflects Blackstone's broader strategic pivot toward India as global private capital reorders away from China amid geopolitical uncertainty and slowing returns. Multiple alternative asset managers including Brookfield Asset Management, PAG, and TA Associates have simultaneously elevated India-based executives to regional and global leadership roles. This suggests that Blackstone's infrastructure hire is less a standalone talent acquisition than part of an industrywide recognition that India now anchors Asia strategy more centrally than in prior years. Whether Momaya's appointment signals sufficient competitive positioning remains uncertain given that KKR and Stonepeak already operate some of Asia's largest dedicated infrastructure funds, and Brookfield commands substantial existing infrastructure assets across the region. Blackstone's success will likely depend on execution speed in deploying its substantial capital base and Momaya's ability to source deals competitive with entrenched competitors operating from similar offshore vantage points.
